6th MASS workshop, London, UK

6th MASS Workshop: Mobile Apps and Sensors in Surveys

Date: 4-5 June 2025

Location: Room MAR 2.08, Marshall building, London School of Economics, London, UK

Organizing committee

Patrick Sturgis, Oriol Bosch (London School of Economics), Bella Struminskaya, Peter Lugtig (Utrecht University), Florian Keusch (University of Mannheim), Jan Karem Höhne (University of Hannover)

Context of the workshop

Mobile devices allow researchers to collect data through built-in sensors, such as GPS, accelerometers, and other sensors, passively collect data in-browser, and use apps in addition to self-reports. Passive mobile data collection can potentially decrease measurement errors and reduce respondent burden. Active data collection using apps, camera, microphone, and other sensors allows researchers to broaden the research questions they want to study. Incorporating new measurements to augment or replace survey questions through sensors and apps brings challenges for representativeness, survey design and implementation, and measurement. This also includes ethical and legal considerations that are yet to be understood.

The goal of this workshop is to bring together around 40 researchers from different disciplines to discuss the current state of their work on the use of mobile apps and sensors in survey data collection. Upon acceptance participants are expected to submit a handout (max. of 5 pages).

The workshop is free of charge for participants, but participants are expected to cover their own travel and lodging costs. A call for papers was published in 2024, and is now closed.

The programme of events is published here

Hotel and hotel information is available here

Presentations from five earlier MASS workshops can be found at materials from earlier workshops

Participation in the workshop is only possible when an abstract is accepted for the workshop.

Timeline:

• 22 January 2025: Deadline for abstract submission.
• 21 February 2025: Feedback on acceptance will be provided.
• 20 May 2025: Deadline for handout submission – all participants will be required to submit a 5-page handout presenting context, screenshots, tables, or other supporting materials for the workshop. All participants are expected to read all handouts before coming to the workshop.
• 4 June 2025: Start of MASS Workshop