Caroline Roberts

Dr. Caroline Roberts is a Senior Lecturer and Researcher at the Institute of Social Sciences, University of Lausanne, Switzerland. She is also an Affiliated Researcher at FORS (Swiss Centre of Expertise in Social Sciences) and LIVES (Swiss Centre of Expertise in Life Course Research). Her roles include co-leading the DReMSS research platform and serving as Chair of the Methods Advisory Board of the European Social Survey ERIC. Roberts holds a PhD in Social Psychology from the London School of Economics (LSE) and has extensive experience in survey research, including roles at the UK Office for National Statistics, European Social Survey, and Stanford University's American National Election Studies.

Her research focuses on survey methodology, digital methods, and data privacy, with a particular emphasis on mixed-mode surveys, smartphone-based data collection, and mitigating nonresponse bias. She leads projects like the FORS Connect panel study and the LIVES Cohort Study, investigating barriers to digital participation and response burden. Roberts collaborates internationally, contributing to initiatives such as the European Social Survey's transition to self-completion modes.

Her recent work addresses challenges in integrating digital tools into surveys, including privacy concerns and trust. Key outputs include studies on smartphone app-based surveys, mixed-mode longitudinal designs, and the impact of data privacy notices on participation. Roberts teaches courses on survey methods and provides training on data literacy for educators.

Notable projects include the Swiss Household Panel Mode Experiment, the Selects-Civique smartphone app study, and the LIVES-FORS Mixed Mode Experiment. She advises on methodological innovations for the Swiss Election Studies and European Values Study. Her work bridges quantitative and qualitative methods, including focus groups and usability testing to refine survey tools.

Grants and collaborations include funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation (NCCR LIVES) and the ESRC. Roberts supervises graduate students in areas like mode effects, privacy, and survey design.