Vera Toepoel

Dr. Vera Toepoel is an Assistant Professor at Utrecht University specializing in survey methodology and online data collection. She authored 'Doing Surveys Online' (SAGE, 2016) and serves as president of RC33 (Methods and Logistics) of the International Sociological Association. Previously, she held faculty positions at Tilburg University and conducted research at CentERdata, completing her PhD on online questionnaire design in 2008.

Education:

• Leisure Sciences with a specialisation in Marketing

Her research addresses methodological challenges in digital data collection, focusing on mobile surveys, sensor data integration, and passive data supplementation of traditional surveys. She investigates response format impacts, device effects, and data quality optimization in electronic questionnaires, bridging technological innovation with sociological research methods.

Recent publications (2019) examine smartphone sensor applications in time-use studies, nonresponse predictors in mobile-only surveys, and response format effects on user experience. Her work demonstrates growing emphasis on mixed-mode data collection and device-usage pattern analysis in contemporary survey research.

Awards:

• VENI grant of 364,000 euro for Building a Panel via Social Contacts
• GOR Best Thesis Award

Dr. Toepoel secured competitive research funding through the VENI grant but no current graduate students or additional grants are documented. She maintains active professional collaborations across European research networks.

She leads RC33 of the International Sociological Association and serves as ESRA vice-chair. Previously, she chaired the Dutch Platform for Survey Research, uniting market researchers, academics, and government officials to advance methodological standards.