Gap analysis on the use of research infrastructures in Southeast European (Balkan) countries

In the unstable and turbulent economic and social conditions of our times, the design and implemen-tation of effective policies for inclusive growth is at increasing risk. Probably, the most crucial defi-ciency is the lack of appropriate data to support effective decision-making at the national and regional levels.
Although household surveys have been rising over the past thirty years, many social aspects in relation to living and working conditions, poverty and social exclusion data still lag behind in coverage and compatibility, especially in the least developed European countries.
With this survey, our aim is to draft a gap analysis of the InGRID-2 research infrastructure in the areas relevant to academics and researchers in the fields of poverty and social exclusion in the South-eastern European countries (Balkans). To do so, we initially identified the pool of researchers and academics working in those fields by carefully screening the short profiles published in the web pages of all universities and research institutes in 10 Balkan countries (Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia–Herzegovina, North Macedonia). From this proce-dure, we identified and selected 333 academics and researchers who, according to their profiles, are involved in the field under investigation. Next, we sent to each one of them the questionnaire we designed and a cover letter explaining the purpose of our research. The questionnaires was sent to their e-mail address, in three successive ‘waves’. The first wave was in the end of January 2018, the second in the end of February 2018 and the third in mid-April 2018. The respondents to this proce-dure were 28 researchers and academics from 7 Balkan countries (Greece, Croatia, Fyrom-Mace-donia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, Serbia and Montenegro) from whom 18 come from Greece.