The Statistical Office regularly surveys citizens in Stuttgart on various topics: to obtain their assessments and to involve them in developments in the city. The opinions serve politicians and administrators as a basis for planning and decision-making.
We have compiled the most frequently asked questions about the process for you here.
Why am I being contacted?
The samples are drawn at random from the population register. The address data of the respondents are used exclusively for the purpose of conducting the survey.
What is the purpose of the survey number?
Each respondent is assigned a different, randomly generated survey number that enables them to participate in the survey.
The survey number ensures that each respondent is interviewed individually and protects against so-called "third-party fillers". Furthermore, due to the survey number, it is possible to write reminders for participation in the survey to persons whose questionnaires we have not yet received after approx. 3 or 6 weeks. In this way, we avoid writing again to people who have already participated in the survey.
The survey number and the survey results are kept separate from each other so that anonymity is guaranteed and no conclusions can be drawn about individual persons and their survey results.
How often can I participate in the survey?
The randomly selected persons are contacted by means of an invitation letter and asked to participate in the survey. In addition to general information about the survey, this invitation letter contains a personal survey number and - in the case of online surveys - a survey link.
If you participate in the paper survey, please return the completed paper questionnaire to the Statistical Office of the City of Stuttgart using the enclosed return envelope. After we have received the questionnaire, it will be mechanically recorded. After the mechanical recording, the completed questionnaires will be destroyed.
When participating in an online survey, you register for participation on the Internet using your personal survey number. During the survey phase, your answers are initially stored on a server of the city of Stuttgart. The survey data is transmitted to the Statistical Office via an encrypted connection. The address data is not stored on the server of the city of Stuttgart like the survey data, but on a server in the sealed-off statistical office of the city of Stuttgart. This ensures the anonymity of the survey.
Will data be stored on my computer as a result of online participation?
Through the individual online access with the survey number, no information is stored on your computer (so-called "cookies"). A collection, storage or transmission of computer addresses (so-called IP addresses) in the context of the survey does not take place.
Is data protection guaranteed?
The statistical confidentiality of your data is fully guaranteed in accordance with the provisions of Sections 14 and 15 of the State Statistics Act. The questionnaires are processed exclusively in the sealed-off statistical office by persons committed to secrecy and data protection. The data of individual respondents are not evaluated. Only overall results and results from individual population groups (e.g. women and men) are ever published.
Where is the data stored and backed up?
Your information will be stored separately from your address data. The address data cannot be linked to the survey data.
What happens if I do not return the questionnaire?
If we have not received your questionnaire after approx. 3 or 6 weeks, you will be sent a reminder letter asking you to take part in the survey after all
Do I have to participate in the survey?
No, participation in this survey is voluntary. However, your response is important because you can help provide information about citizen opinions for policymakers and administrators.
I have already participated in a survey once. Why am I being contacted again now?
The sample is drawn at random from the population register. Here, there may be a possibility that you will be selected in different surveys.
When and where will results of the survey be published?
A compilation of the results is made available on the Internet. Further results will be published in separate articles or a thematic booklet in the Statistical Office's "Statistics and Information Management" series.
How do I get a replacement questionnaire or a new survey number?
If you need a questionnaire or a new survey number, please contact the staff of the Statistical Office.
How do I get in personal contact with the Statistical Office?
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