A multi-methods research design

This chapter unravels the methodological approaches and introduces the research design combining multi-wave online surveys and mobile panel surveys with content analysis. It provides readers with an overview of the data collection procedures and the operationalization of key variables. To address the question whether political information and young people’s participatory behaviour today are different from those of other generations, a comprehensive research design is necessary. Media exposure is subject to recall bias, especially when it comes to short-time social media exposure. The chapter focuses on three dimensions of political engagement that have received high attention as antecedents and outcomes of political media consumption in previous research: political interest, political knowledge, and political efficacy. The measurements of the key variables of interest are detailed, providing us with elaborate information on respondents’ exposure to political information in the media and on their political involvement.