Surveying a Crowd: A Field Experiment Comparing Data Collection Techniques at Protest Events
2026-06-10
Protest surveys are one of the most common methods for studying participation in social movements. As the use of digital tools has become more common in academic research, they are being applied to facilitate data collection at protest events. The authors analyze the benefits and drawbacks of these digital tools for data collection at protest events. They present the results of a field experiment that tests two increasingly common forms of data collection: surveys collected through electronic tablets and through QR (quick response) codes. The field experiment was conducted at four anti-Trump rallies on the east coast of the United States in 2025. The authors find benefits and drawbacks to each technique. The findings focus on differences in response rates, delayed refusal, and the demographics of survey respondents. The authors conclude by discussing how to apply these findings to collect the most robust sample of protest participants.