Conducting transportation survey research in China : International research team experiences and best practices

Rapid changes in transportation choices and travel patterns accompanying China’s economic development have led many international agencies and nongovernmental organizations to get involved in transportation planning and analysis in Chinese cities. Some of their work is project oriented, in partnership with the national government or city governments, and some is research conducted in cooperation with local universities, research groups, and government agencies. Both kinds of work need high-quality data, but because growth and change are so rapid, official data sources may be outdated or may provide insufficient spatial coverage, insufficient sample sizes, or incomplete topical coverage. Thus planners and researchers must often conduct special studies involving survey research on such topics as choice of household location, travel and activity patterns, choice of vehicle type, and travel preferences and behavior. Although survey methodologies are well developed in the West, some modifications are needed when applying these methods in China. Strategies for successful survey research in Chinese cities are discussed, with an emphasis on lessons learned in recent survey deployments in Shanghai, Jinan, and Kunming. Successful approaches for obtaining access to respondents are considered, and issues that can arise in survey implementation are examined. Best practices involve coupling authorization letters from cooperating organizations or sponsors with convincing and trustworthy promises of respondent anonymity or confidentiality; extensive training, including practice runs, for local teams administering the surveys; and use of incentives, such as small gifts, to facilitate the first contact. © 2012 National Academy of Sciences.