Surveying a Crowd: A Field Experiment Comparing Data Collection Techniques at Protest Events

Protest surveys are one of the most common methods for studying participation in social movements. As the use of digital tools has become more common in academic research, they are being applied to facilitate data collection at protest events. This paper analyzes the benefits and drawbacks of these digital tools for data collection at protest events. We present the results of a field experiment that tests two increasingly common forms of data collection: surveys collected through electronic tablets and through Quick Response (QR) codes. Our field experiment was conducted at four anti-Trump rallies on the East Coast of the US in 2025. We find benefits and drawbacks to each technique. Our findings specifically focus on differences in response rates, delayed refusal, and demographics. The paper concludes by discussing how to apply our findings to collect the most robust sample of protest participants.