Have you ever wondered how researchers manage to collect data from individuals or capture their experiences if they won’t or can’t answer for themselves? This is the role of proxy respondents in surveys. A proxy respondent is someone who provides information on behalf of another person. Think of it this way, like a surrogate mother in survey space, who helps to carry and birth a baby on behalf of the biological parents. For example, a parent answering questions about their ward, a caregiver reporting on a patient’s conditions, or a spouse providing details about their income.

Proxy respondents enable the collection of information from individuals who would have been either unreachable or excluded during a research effort. However, it raises the question whether surveys can truly represent the perspective, attitudes, or experiences of those being represented objectively and accurately. 

In this article, we’ll unpack:

• What or who are proxy respondents, and the contexts in which they’re used?
• Why researchers depend on them and the challenges they bring.
• Real-world examples and pitfalls of proxy data.
• Best practices to improve reliability when using proxies.

At the end of this article, you will understand what proxy respondents are and how to use them effectively.

What are Proxy Respondents in Surveys?

Proxy respondents are simply a person’s spokesperson in a survey. Instead of the main person answering the questions about his own life, habits, and opinions, their job is to respond. The responses that the target respondent would agree with, drawing from shared knowledge or observations. For example, a caregiver, close colleague, spouse, or family member who responds to questions or fills out surveys on behalf of the primary respondent.

Proxy respondents come into different scenarios. In national health surveys, the target most times is the elderly who are too ill or cognitively impaired to participate in the survey. It is also used in household travel studies, where one family member reports on behalf of everyone else.

Survey data collection by proxy respondents has been shown to improve response rates, making the studies more inclusive with lower costs. It enables data collection from hard-to-reach groups like minors or the elderly. All without forcing interactions that are unapproved, inconvenient, and uncomfortable. This means that proxy respondents, if handled properly, can transform situations that seem like a dead end into a goldmine of valuable information.

Considerations for Using Proxy Respondents 

As valuable as proxy respondents are, there are still certain things you need to consider before picking one. For example, a colleague at work can tell you the daily routine of their partner.

However, they might not necessarily be able to describe political or religious views accurately. So, in this regard, the colleague will not be the best person to respond on behalf of their partner when it comes to matters that pertain to politics or religion.

It will have to be someone who has shared interests and beliefs about politics and religion. Despite this, researchers would still have to tread cautiously to prevent the projections or personal bias of the person’s views. These limitations tell the researcher to be careful when selecting the proxy respondents, and also to carefully design surveys in a way that prevents biases.

Implications of Proxy Respondents in Survey Research

• Proxy respondents cause certain effects in survey research, and one of them is that they improve the quality of the data collected in survey research by providing answers that normally would have been missing.
• Another implication of proxy respondents in survey research is that validity can be affected because the proxy respondents might not be able to reflect the true feelings of the primary respondents. 
• The reliability of survey response can be affected because different proxies might have different answers for the same questions, most especially in subjective questions, except in cases where factual questions like age, date of birth are asked.

Best Practices for Utilizing Proxy Respondents

If you want to apply proxy respondents to your research, without the infusion of personal bias or poor reflection of the primary respondents, adopt the following practices.

• Be transparent when asking them questions. They should understand the purpose of the survey.
• Questions should be scripted in such a way that they understand the interview is not about them, but the view of the primary respondent. It is also helpful to differentiate between factual and subjective questions.
• Communication is key, so make sure to share any observed limitations in the knowledge of the proxy respondents in the findings; do not hide them.

Ethical Considerations and Challenges in Using Proxy Respondents

Ethics are not optional; they are important to protect the proxy respondents and the primary respondents. 

• In applying ethical consideration, the consent of the proxy respondent and the primary respondent is vital. 
• Confidentiality and anonymity of both the primary respondent and the proxy respondent should be preserved.
• The researcher must ensure that the proxy respondents mirror the exact interests and beliefs of the primary respondent by asking clear questions and looking out for bias and misrepresentation of the primary respondent.
• The researcher should ensure that the proxy respondent does not disclose more information than is required. Challenges might arise during the course of the interview, and some of them are:

Knowledge Gap

The proxy respondents might not be able to provide valuable insight into some of the feelings and opinions of the primary respondents; these situations should be included in the findings of the survey.

 Subjectivity

There is a tendency for the proxy respondent to project personal feelings or opinions in the interview. It’s important to identify this when it occurs. Also, proxy respondents might be reluctant to answer some questions that are sensitive and inconvenient; so it’s important to probe gently.

Examples and Case Studies

Case Study 1: National Health Interview Survey (United States)

The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) is one of the largest health surveys in the United States. This sometimes relies on a single household member to provide information for an entire family. 

• Outcome: This approach significantly improves rates of responses and reduces the burden on survey administrators. 
• Lesson learned: While factual information such as age, chronic conditions, or doctor visits is usually reported accurately, subjective measures like pain levels or emotional well-being are less reliable when provided by proxies. 

Case Study 2: A case-control study on premature male mortality used proxy respondents.

Those who were the wives of the men, to probe the causes of the use of alcohol and stress

• Outcome: The proxy respondents provided valid information for factual questions like job history, but there was a bias in subjective questions. Proxy respondents and direct data were used, making the survey a success.
• Lesson learned: Direct data and proxy respondents had to be combined with subjective information because it wasn’t reliable.

Future Trends and Research Directions

As data collection methods continue to evolve, researchers are also exploring smart tools to enable accurate, inclusive, and ethical proxy reporting. Here are a few notable trends that have emerged.

• Digital and AI-Assisted Proxy Reporting

With the rise of digital surveys, artificial intelligence, and smart devices, data collection is seamless and streamlined. With the rise of AI, proxy responses can now be analyzed and validated for inconsistencies. Also, information can now be verified via linked data and clarifying questions to minimize human error and improve data quality.

• Ethical Standards and Data Privacy

As proxies often share information about others, researchers are discussing ethical questions around privacy and consent more frequently. Thus, future research expects to pursue a framework that balances data privacy while acknowledging individual autonomy.

• Improving Training and Guidelines for Proxies

Many proxies respond using their intuition or perception instead of firsthand knowledge. So, in-depth studies would encourage the development of prior training.  To ensure that proxy respondents understand the limits of information they can accurately or comfortably provide. This is particularly essential in health surveys, where data collected informs treatment decisions or policy outcomes.

• Expanding Use in Hard-to-Reach Populations

Proxy respondents will remain essential for representing populations that are difficult to access. This refers to young children, the elderly, or individuals with disabilities. Researchers are adopting culturally appropriate and context-specific approaches to make proxy data more inclusive and representative.

• Longitudinal Validation and Bias Analysis

A growing area of interest is validating proxy data over time. So Future studies may track how proxy-derived information ranks when compared with self-provided data. This can aid in identifying personal bias trends and improve the reliability of Proxy respondents’ applications in long-term research.

Conclusion

Proxy respondents are vital in an inclusive survey research; although there might be a few challenges, the valuable insights they provide cannot be denied. With proxy respondents, you allow due representation of groups that otherwise would not have been able to share their opinion or perspective.

Despite the value proxy representatives bring to the survey effort, it’s important to apply caution and care when selecting proxies, crafting questions.  This ensures the ability to differentiate between factual and subjective responses. If utilized properly and responsibly by adhering to the ethical guidelines, accurate data that were previously unobtainable will be at the fingertips of the researcher.