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An iterative expert survey approach for estimating parties’ policy positions

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  • Kostas Gemenis

Abstract

This article introduces the iterative expert survey approach in estimating parties’ policy positions. Methodologically, the proposed approach is based on the tradition of ‘judgemental’ coding in the content analysis of political text, and incorporates the idea of anonymous iteration among a panel of expert coders taken from the method known as ‘Delphi’. Anonymous iteration presents an effective way of reducing the random error, and potential bias arising from inter-expert/coder disagreement evident in other popular methods. I provide an empirical demonstration of the approach by estimating parties’ policy positions in the context of a voting advice application in Germany, and argue that the method has considerable potential to generate valid and reliable data on party positions cross-nationally and retrospectively. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015

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  • Kostas Gemenis, 2015. "An iterative expert survey approach for estimating parties’ policy positions," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 49(6), pages 2291-2306, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:qualqt:v:49:y:2015:i:6:p:2291-2306
    DOI: 10.1007/s11135-014-0109-5
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    1. Nyhuis Dominic & König Pascal, 2018. "Estimating the Conflict Dimensionality in the German Länder from Vote Advice Applications, 2014–2017," Statistics, Politics and Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 9(1), pages 57-86, June.
    2. Tiziano Gerosa & Gianluca Argentin & Alice Spada, 2024. "What are teacher relational skills? A defining study using a bottom-up modified Delphi method," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 58(1), pages 581-602, February.
    3. Andres Reiljan & Lorenzo Cicchi & Diego Garzia, 2023. "Party placement in the void: the European political space in 10 years of cross-national Voting Advice Applications," RSCAS Working Papers 2023/20, European University Institute.

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