Survey data collection during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany: Recommendations for an improved data collection infrastructure

The COVID-19 pandemic created a high demand for rapid data collection while also posing major challenges to collecting timely, high-quality population survey data on public health, and health-related behavior and attitudes. In the Survey Data Collection during the COVID-19 Pandemic (SDCCP) project, we examined how data collection standards evolved during the pandemic and what challenges the national survey infrastructure in Germany was facing. Our findings revealed trade-offs between speed and data quality and a lack of preparedness for rapid data collection. Existing surveys struggled to remain operational and maintain their high standards, whereas newly established surveys were more likely to implement survey designs associated with lower data quality. In this policy comment, we recommend targeted investments in methodological research, operational nationwide emergency planning, and policy changes to support closer collaboration between survey infrastructures.