infas Institute for Applied Social Sciences (infas Institut für angewandte Sozialwissenschaft GmbH)

The infas Institute for Applied Social Science in Bonn is a private and independent social research institute that researches and advises companies, science and politics. The range of services includes national and international tailor-made studies, for example in labor market, education or transport research. infas conducts numerous panel studies and evaluations for major scientific research projects. Private enterprise supports infas with international innovation research and reliable market analyzes.

In his studies, infas uses all survey methods scientifically founded with its own resources. Founded in 1959, the institute currently employs around 100 scientists from various disciplines and is among the top 20 largest empirical research companies in Germany. infas is the largest commercial research institute with social science character.

infas offers no standardized, but individual, optimally tailored to the issue studies. Therefore, as a full-service social research institute, we not only offer advice on designing the survey instrument, but also already on basic theses, questions, analyzes and goals of a planned study. For this purpose, infas has experts in numerous fields and is closely involved in the academic discussion and current issues.

Together with the client, the optimal method or the optimal mix of methods will be developed, the right sampling and the best approach of the target group. infas ensures that the latest academic research is used. In addition, as part of our consulting services, we bring in new, innovative processes that often go beyond the focus of purely social science research. We work with a special care. A simple adaptation of research instruments does not exist at infas. Each project is often scrutinized and reviewed by a multidisciplinary team from the first step to completion. This ensures that our studies withstand the critical review from different angles. In many cases, we have developed such innovative and surprising approaches to social science study topics. The result is research projects in which new researches are made, unknowns are uncovered and future perspectives are developed. infas is the largest commercial empirical institute in Germany with a focus on social research. Even if the focus is on the sociological origin, experts from different disciplines work for infas today. Behind this is the conviction that the most diverse possible mix of disciplines is the best basis for an optimal research concept. Infas social research is sought after by universities, departmental research institutes and mostly larger companies.

infas has a wealth of practical experience in building and managing panel studies and longitudinal studies. In these surveys, multiple surveys are carried out with the same sample and the same survey instrument - a methodologically demanding procedure. In contrast to one-off surveys (Adhoc), which determine the status quo as a research question, the panel study allows us to understand changes over time. Panel studies are therefore particularly suited to evaluate the effectiveness of measures such as new legislation or organizational restructuring.

We take over for our clients

the construction of the panel study or the smooth continuation of an existing panel,
the administration of the panel investigation,
the survey and support of the panel participants,
necessary strategies to avoid panel mortality,
the complex weighting of longitudinal and cross-sectional data collected in the panel study,
the complete data preparation and
the delivery of the survey results in the desired form.
All aspects of a panel investigation are understood by us as systematically linked measures that are interlinked and interrelated.

Infas' panel concepts are based on conclusive field strategies for setting up and later reducing failures. Particular attention is paid to specific communication strategies that build a panel identity that gives personal commitment to the project among panel study participants.

We also have extensive experience in incentivising panelists. This ensures that, on the one hand, it promotes co-operation on the part of the participants right from the start and, on the other hand, that it has no influence on the response behavior.