Why Do People Participate in Surveys in Qatar?

Abstract

In this paper, we assesses respondent participation in academic public opinion surveys in the State of Qatar. Rates of participation in SESRI’s face-to-face surveys remain at levels that far exceed those observed in Western and even other Middle Eastern countries and require no incentives. An examination of respondents’ self-reported reasons for participation accords with major theories on participation in survey research. Subgroup analysis found the main distinction primarily on “national loyalty” as a participation motivator which was higher among older, better educated, and city-dwelling Qataris. Among younger Qataris, “expressing opinion” was a significantly higher motivator than among older. At this time results indicate no reason to explore using incentives in the immediate future.