Participation in the Qualified Respondents’ Questionnaires (QRQs)

What are the Qualified Respondents’ Questionnaires?

The Qualified Respondents’ Questionnaires (QRQs) comprise one of two original data sources used to construct the scores and rankings in the annual WJP Rule of Law Index report. Designed to complement the data gathered in our General Population Poll (administered to members of the general public), the QRQs draw upon the experiences of local experts and practitioners who interact with judicial and government institutions on a daily basis.

The QRQs consist of closed-ended questions across four subjects: civil and commercial law; constitutional law, civil liberties, and criminal law; labor law; and public health. The QRQs are administered by the WJP research team on an annual basis in every country or jurisdiction measured in our Index. These questionnaires gather timely input on a range of topics, including information on the efficacy of courts, the strength of regulatory enforcement, and the reliability of accountability mechanisms.

While perceptions of the general public take longer time periods to change, our expert respondents are more in tune with the year-to-year changes in a country or jurisdiction’s rule of law performance. As such, our annual QRQ surveys help keep Index scores up-to-date on factors which tend to involve more specialized knowledge of certain processes, actors, and circumstances.

How do you identify and vet experts to take the Qualified Respondents’ Questionnaires (QRQs)?

Potential QRQ participants are identified using various methods, including outreach to universities, bar associations, and NGOs; referrals from previous participants; and online research. When building the initial database of potential QRQ participants for each country or jurisdiction covered in the Index, the WJP targets in-country practicing lawyers (50%) and academics (50%). As this database of potential participants has grown in subsequent years, the distribution is generally 75% practicing lawyers and 25% academics. Currently, the database contains over 30,000 potential participants. When identifying potential participants, prosecutors, judges, and other government officials are excluded, as the QRQ surveys (available here) aim to capture the perceptions and experiences of practitioners that routinely interact with these systems as agents of the people, as well as scholars who study legal institutions and processes in their countries and jurisdictions.

To comply with Articles 6b and 6e of ESOMAR’s International Code on Market, Opinion, and Social Research, each individual QRQ participant chooses if they would like to be acknowledged or have their information omitted from all public materials. There are respondents in each country or jurisdiction covered in the Index that do not wish to be acknowledged publicly for a variety of reasons, and the WJP must therefore exclude their names from all reports and documents. The names and affiliations of each QRQ respondent that chose to be acknowledged for their participation in the project can be found in the methodology section of each Index report.

How was I identified as a potential respondent/ why was I selected to participate?

We select potential expert respondents through a two-stage procedure. In the first stage, we identify a large number of organizations from a set of directories of law firms, universities/colleges, research organizations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) using publicly available online sources. In the second stage, a random sample of experts is drawn from within the selected organizations. For the academic sample, we select potential respondents from faculties of colleges, universities, and law schools (small and large). For the practitioner sample, we select potential respondents from law firms, non-profit organizations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with missions, agendas, and/or specializations within civil and commercial law, constitutional law civil liberties and criminal law, labor law, and public health. The second method builds on the WJP network of practitioners and academics.

For additional information about how you were identified or why you were selected to participate, please contact a member of the Rule of Law Index team at ruleoflawindex@worldjusticeproject.org.

What happens to the data I provide to the World Justice Project? Will it ever be shared with anyone?

The World Justice Project constructs the WJP Rule of Law Index 2024 with strict guidelines in regard to the confidentiality of the data gathered and the privacy of the respondents. Individual survey responses remain strictly confidential. The survey is not indexed by search engines. Responses are aggregated preceding any statistical analysis or reporting of results to ensure that individual responses cannot be ascertained. Furthermore, participants may choose to remain entirely anonymous or include their name and organizational affiliation (if applicable) in the public list of expert contributors in the forthcoming WJP Rule of Law Index report, to be released in 2024.

What privacy measures are in place to protect my personal information?

Security of your personal information is of the utmost importance and priority. WJP’s expert surveys are administered online via Alchemer, which is a highly secure platform with ISO 27001 andSOC2 Type 2 Certifications, as well as EU GDPR compliance. By default, Alchemer provides end-to-end data encryption and proactively protects accounts through constant system monitoring. To conduct email outreach and manage contact lists, the WJP team uses Mailchimp and Microsoft 365. The entire Mailchimp application is encrypted with TLS1.2 or higher, and has ISO 27001 Certifications, which ensures all data centers are securely managed. Microsoft 365 also complies with ISO 27001.

I received an invitation to participate in an area of law that I feel does not match my expertise. Can I take a different survey? Or I have expertise in several areas of law, can I take an additional survey?

Yes, the Qualified Respondents’ Questionnaires cover four different areas of law: Civil and Commercial Law; Constitutional Law, Civil Liberties, and Criminal Law; Labor Law; and Public Health. If you would like to complete a survey in a different area of law or are interested in completing an additional survey, please email your request to ruleoflawindex@worldjusticeproject.org. A member of our team will update your records and send an invitation with instructions to complete the appropriate survey shortly thereafter.

I’m not a lawyer. Why have I been invited to participate?

While lawyers make up a large proportion of our expert respondent base, other professionals are invited to participate in our surveys, including:

• Professors and academic professionals

• Non-profit workers and members of civil society

• Doctors, clinicians, and public health practitioners - in addition to our surveys on civil and commercial, constitutional and criminal, and labor law, we have a brief questionnaire on public health matters. This survey allows us to collect expert input on important rule of law topics such as accessibility, discrimination, and regulatory enforcement within a country’s health sector.

What is the deadline to submit a survey for the 2024 WJP Rule of Law Index?

Survey submissions for the 2024 WJP Rule of Law Index will be accepted through Friday, May 17th this year. We will send periodic reminder messages up until then. Prior to closing surveys, we will notify all of our experts, so that they have a final opportunity to contribute this year.  

Can I receive payment for my survey submission?

The World Justice Project does not provide payment for the completion of expert surveys but acknowledges all contributing experts in the finished WJP Rule of Law Index report (unless they prefer to remain anonymous) and provides a certificate of contribution.

I can’t participate this year but am interested in future opportunities. Can I defer my invitation?

If you are unable to participate in our surveys this year but would like to stay informed of future opportunities, please contact a member of our team at ruleoflawindex@worldjusticeproject.org. We will remove you from our 2024 invitation list and reach out in early 2025 to inform you of our next round of data collection.

I’m not interested. How do I unsubscribe?

Your invitation email contains a link to unsubscribe at the bottom of the page. Alternatively, you may reach out to a member of our team at ruleoflawindex@worldjusticeproject.org to unsubscribe from our mailing list.