Data collection

advantage offered by CAWI as it eliminates the influence of interviewers ('interviewer effect' and 'respondent effect') on respondents when they provide answers. However, the absence of the survey organisers’ full control over who actually completes the questionnaire is an important limitation here.

In 2017, only one measurement tool was used: the base questionnaire containing the widest range of variables. An abridged version of the questionnaire prepared on the basis of the first one will be addressed to the panel sample during subsequent waves of the survey. The base questionnaire covers the following aspects: completed degree programmes, participation in Erasmus mobilities, work and work placements during studies, entry on the labour market, continuing education, and career. Particular emphasis was placed on participation in programmes organised by foreign HEIs and on Erasmus internships, as well as on the influence of such mobilities on respondents’ professional and educational status. Issues focussing on graduates’ careers and further education were also discussed.

Data collection

The sample chosen for the first wave of the survey involved all students – participants in Erasmus and Erasmus+ mobility projects between 2007 and 2015. Those serving internships or studying at foreign universities were also included in the sample. The survey was administered to graduates completing all study cycles, from Bachelor degree to PhD programmes. Those who were still studying and who were yet to complete a programme of any cycle were excluded from the survey. The date of obtaining a certificate of completion of the programme during which a respondent underwent an Erasmus mobility was regarded as the moment of completing higher education.

The participant database was created thanks to reports, i.e. obligatory questionnaires completed by all mobility participants upon return from abroad. These reports feature a question concerning consent to further contact from the National Agency (among other things – in order to conduct further studies) and a request to provide an email address. The survey questionnaire was sent to all students who consented to being contacted by the National Agency. Therefore, the database contained a total of 101,371 unique email addresses.

The first data collection took place in June 2017 and was treated as the piloting phase of the study concept and the questionnaire. The questionnaire was sent to 3,000 respondents randomly selected from the database. The results of the piloting phase confirmed the effectiveness of both the tool and the data collection technique. They also facilitated the introduction of small modifications to the questionnaire to make it better adapted to respondents’ needs. The first data collection after the piloting