Dr Ruxandra Comanaru

Overview

Ruxandra is a Research Fellow at European Social Survey (ESS) Headquarters, based at City, University of London. The ESS is a rigorous comparative biennial survey of changing attitudes and values in over 30 European countries.

Prior to joining the ESS team at City, Ruxandra was a Research Director in the Methodology Hub at the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen). Ruxandra spent 7 years at NatCen, focusing primarily on questionnaire design and cognitive testing. This followed after completing her PhD in Applied Linguistics and Communication at Birkbeck, University of London. During her academic career, Ruxandra was also a lecturer in Social Research Methods, Applied Linguistics, Multilingualism and Multiculturalism, and she continues to deliver teaching and training in research methods for social scientists. She also convened City's Social Research Methods Masters module.

Ruxandra's main research interests include the design and adaptation of surveys for mixed modes of data collection, with a focus on enhancing the methodological rigour of self-completion methods. She is also interested in questionnaire design and translation, cultural equivalence of research concepts and a range of topics related to the construction of identity and the influence language has on it.

Qualifications

• PhD Applied Linguistics and Communication, Birkbeck, University of London, United Kingdom, 2013
• MA in Social and Cultural Psychology, University of Alberta, Canada, 2009
• BA Psychology, Saint Anselm College, United States, 2005

Employment

• Research Fellow, City, University of London, United Kingdom, February 2021 - present
• Research Director, NatCen Social Research, United Kingdom, September 2015 - January 2021

Languages

English, Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan and Spanish - Latin American

Expertise

Geographic Areas

• Europe

Publications by category