Research into methods – Internet use in old age
Period: 01.01.2022 - ongoing
High-quality data is a key prerequisite for research into ageing, care and digitalisation. Representative population surveys are an important source of data. The rapid change processes in the field of digital devices and online services mean that the instruments used for measurements in survey research on these topics must also be constantly adapted.
During the course of the project, researchers have been elaborating specific survey research questions on various aspects of how people aged 50+ use the Internet. The qualitative pretest interview (QPI) method is used in this case. (Bethmann et al. 2019; Buschle et al. 2022) Besides testing the validity of the questions, the primary aim is to involve older people as co-experts in the field of ageing and digitalisation research. The results of the QPIs are used towards optimising questionnaires for population surveys aimed at older people.
This project is a cooperation between Munich Research Institute for the Economics of Aging and SHARE Analyses (MEA-SHARE), SHARE Germany/SHARE Berlin Institute, German Youth Institute (DJI), International University (IU), Bavarian Center for Digital Health and Social Care (BZPD).
Literature
- Bethmann, A., Buschle, C., Reiter, H. (2019). Kognitiv oder qualitativ?. In: Menold, N., Wolbring, T. (ed.): Qualitätssicherung sozialwissenschaftlicher Erhebungsinstrumente. Publications series by the ASI – Arbeitsgemeinschaft Sozialwissenschaftlicher Institute. Springer VS, Wiesbaden. doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-24517-7_6
- Bethmann, A., Buschle, C., Reiter, H. (2022). The qualitative pretest interview for questionnaire development: outline of programme and practice. Qual Quant 56:823–842. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-021-01156-0
Publications
zur Kammer, K., Schütz, J., Hudelmayer, A., Hunsicker, Ch., Bethmann, A. (2025) Erfassung von Computerkenntnissen älterer Menschen in SHARE: Evaluation des Items IT003_PC_Skills (IT-Modul) mittels Qualitativer Pretest-Interviews
zur Kammer, K., Schütz, J., Hudelmayer, A., Hunsicker, Ch., Bethmann, A. (2025) Measuring Computer Skills of Older People in SHARE: Evaluation of the item IT003_PC_Skills (IT module) using qualitative pretest interviews
