May 5, 2009 | First wave of pre-election online-tracking started

Thanks to funding by GESIS the German Election Study 2009 can be supplemented with an additional pre-election component. It is designed to capture the dynamics of attitudes related to voting decisions not only during the last weeks before the election but already months before the election campaign enters its final phase. At this early stage, the parties launch their campaigns and several other elections might affect opinion formation in the electorate. Monthly cross-section surveys will be conducted online. The first wave of the supplementary component has just started. Its questionnaire consists of a core of questions that will be asked in every wave and an additional set of questions concerning the German presidential election on May 23. Following surveys will focus on the election to the European Parliament on June 7, and the elections in three German federal states on August 30. The data of each survey wave will be released as soon as possible and will be accessible to the scientific community on this page.

March 23, 2009 | Call for Questions for the German Longitudinal Election Study (GLES)

The executive committee of the German Society for Electoral Research (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Wahlforschung, DGfW) invites social scientists to propose questionnaire instruments for the German Longitudinal Election Study (GLES).

The GLES is funded by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG). Over three subsequent periods of funding, the GLES is to examine the German federal elections 2009, 2013, and 2017, and therefore will be able to track how voters react to new and complex constellations of electoral politics. Funding is unrestrictedly assured for the first period of the project, which is to extensively analyze the German Federal Election 2009.

A rationale of this project is to be responsive for ideas and suggestions from the scientific community. Thus, the executive committee of the DGfW invites social scientists to participate in designing the GLES. Proposals can be submitted until April 16, 2009. For further information on the Call for Questions please click here (German only).

December 22, 2008 | Funding of the German Longitudinal Election Study approved

The German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) has just approved the funding of the German Longitudinal Election Study GLES. Initiated by the German Society of Electoral Research (DGfW), this project will focus on the upcoming German Federal Election 2009. It will be continued at the following elections in 2013 and 2017. The GLES is the largest German election study so far. The project will be directed by Prof. Dr. Hans Rattinger (GESIS/University of Mannheim), Prof. Dr. Sigrid Roßteutscher (University of Frankfurt), Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Schmitt-Beck (University of Mannheim), and PD Dr. Bernhard Weßels (WZB Berlin).

The project comprises a major long-term effort in social science data collection in Germany. Its basic approach, scope and ambition are inspired by the best programs of national election studies in the world, such as the American National Election Study (ANES), the British Election Study (BES), and the National Annenberg Election Study (NAES). The GLES will produce a wealth of data that will be shared with the entire community of electoral researchers both in Germany and abroad as well as all other interested social scientists.

For further information please click here.

November 4th, 2008 | Gesis provides support for German Election Study

The current work of the DGfW pursues the goal to implement the first wave of a comprehensive, long-term election study funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). The respective proposal is currently under review. Parallel to this, an infrastructure at GESIS – the German Social Science Infrastructure Services – will be established in order to connect the study methodologically and organisationally to GESIS. GESIS will assist the execution of all project stages of the different parts of the election study, that is under the responsibility of the DFG applicants (members of the DGfW directorate Prof. Dr. Hans Rattinger, Prof. Dr. Sigrid Roßteutscher, Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Schmitt-Beck, PD Dr. Bernhard Weßels) and that is conceptualized with feedback from the executive committee and DGfW members. GESIS will provide the necessary – human and material – resources to supply methodological advice and technical and infrastructural services.

17. September 2007 | Call for Proposals for the 2009 German Election Study

The German Society for Electoral Studies aims at putting the German Election Study on a wide, continuous and participatory footing. To achieve this objective, the study is designed to include modules that are not covered by its core components.
The Society invites electoral researchers, who have an interest in running an additional module, to submit a proposal for such a module electronically by October 15, 2007.

(Further Information, German only (PDF, 26 KB))

20. August 2007

Recommendation for the implementation of a national electoral study by the National Council for Social and Economic Data, RatSWD in the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).