Robert Neumann is a economist and currently serves as Replacement Professor of Methods of Empirical Social Research at the Faculty of Social Sciences. Before joining the HSZG in 2024, he was Assisstant Professor at the at the Department of Sociology at TUD - Dresden University of Technology, both at the Chair of Methods of Empirical Social Research and the Chair in Macrosociology. He served as Interim Professor in Political Sociology and Social Stratification at the University of Erfurt (2024) and also was an Interim Professor of Methods of Empirical Social Research at TUD (2018/19). He holds a doctoral degree in sociology from the TUD (2012) and his postdoctoral graduation (habilitation) in sociology at Christian-Albrecht-University Kiel is currently under review.
His expertise lies in the areas of applied survey research methods, especially with focus on field and survey experiments. His current research interests cover neutralization theory, challenges of measuring privacy concerns and privacy behavior, and the role social norms within different behavioral domains. He is also active in the field of scientific publishing, public health and criminology, with special focus on the interplay of fear of crime and general concerns.
In 2025, he served as a Research Associate at the E-Learning Working Group of the State Rectors' Conference of Saxony at CODIP, TUD.
Since 2026, he is Research Associate at HSZG at the EU-project “Studienerfolg KOM^3”.
Monographs
Robert Neumann. 2013.
Libertärer Paternalismus - Theorie und Empirie staatlicher Entscheidungsarchitektur.
UOrd 66. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck. Link
Edited Volumes (* peer reviewed)
*Robert Neumann & Peter Graeff (Hrsg.) 2015. Quantitative Approaches to Comparative Analyses: Data properties and their implications for theory, measurement, and modeling. European Political Science Special Issue 14(4) Link
Michael Häder & Robert Neumann (Hrsg.). 2014.
Auswahlprobleme und Antwortverhalten bei Telefonbefragungen.
Dresdner Beiträge zur Soziologie Band 5. Münster: Verlagshaus Monsenstein & Vannerdat.
Journal articles
Neumann, R., et al. (2026). Investigating the Perception of Peer Review Quality–A German-Swiss Vignette Study." Quantitative Science Studies 7: 1–37. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1162/QSS.a.469
Neumann, R., Brust, O., Kadel, J., von Hermanni, H. & Menold, N. (2024). Scientific advice and the COVID-19 pandemic: Revisiting the asian disease problem. International Journal of Public Opinion Research, 36(2). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ijpor/edae021
Mehlkop, G., Neumann, R. & von Hermanni, H. (2023). Privacy and the Acceptance of Centralized Digital Currencies in the U.S., India and Germany. Scientific Reports, 13(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-35905-y
Neumann, R. & Mehlkop, G. (2023). Neutralization Strategies Account for the Concern-Behavior Gap in Renewable Energy Usage – Evidence from Panel Data from Germany. Energy Research and Social Science, 99.DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2023.103041
Neumann, R. & Mehlkop, G. (2023). Revisiting Farmers Markets – Disentangling Preferences and Conditions of Food Purchases on Countrywide Data from Germany. Food Quality and Preference, 106. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2023.104815
Lang, C., Voigt, K., Neumann, R., Bergmann, A. & Holthoff-Detto, V. (2022). Adherence and acceptance of a home-based telemonitoring application used by multi-morbid patients aged 65 years and older. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 28(1), S. 37–51. DOI: doi.org/10.1177/1357633X20901400
Lenz, F., Neumann, R., Bergmann, A., Schübel, J. & Voigt, K. (2021). Beurteilung der Betreuung dementer Patienten im allgemeinärztlichen Hausbesuch. Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie, 54(3), S. 272–277. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00391-020-01715-4
Neumann, R. & Mehlkop, G. (2020). Framing electricity plan choices to enhance green energy usage: A choice experiment with panel data from Germany. Energy Research and Social Science, 70. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2020.101741
Neumann, R. (2019). The framing of charitable giving: A field experiment at bottle refund machines in Germany. Rationality and Society, 31(1), S. 98–126. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1043463118820894
von Hermanni, H. & Neumann, R. (2018). Refugees welcome? The interplay between perceived threats and general concerns on the acceptance of refugees – a factorial survey approach in Germany. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2018.1459183
Neumann, R. & Mehlkop, G. (2018). Umweltentscheidungen als Wechselspiel von Einstellungen, Handlungskosten und situativer Rahmung – ein empirischer Theorienvergleich mit Daten des GESIS Panels. Zeitschrift für Soziologie 41: 182–206. DOI: doi.org/10.1515/zfsoz-2018-1007
Neumann, R. (2016). Understanding trustworthiness – Using response latencies from CATI surveys to learn about the „crucial" variable in trust research. Quality & Quantity, 50(1), S. 43–64.
Neumann, R. & Graeff, P. (2013). Method bias in comparative research: Problems of construct validity as exemplified by the measurement of ethnic diversity. Journal of Mathematical Sociology, 37(2). DOI: doi.org/10.1080/0022250X.2011.597014
Neumann, R. & Mehlkop, G. (2012). Die Erklärung der Zustimmung zu familienpolitischen Umverteilungsmaßnahmen – Evidenz für das Wechselspiel von rationalen Erklärungsansätzen und der Bedeutung von Einstellungen zur Familie. Zeitschrift für Soziologie, 3, S. 182–206.
Neumann, R. & Mehlkop, G. (2012). Explaining preferences for redistribution: A unified framework to account for institutional approaches and economic self interest for the case of monetary transfers for families and children. European Journal of Political Research, 51(3). DOI: doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6765.2011.02002.x
Neumann, R. & Graeff, P. (2010). A Multitrait-Multimethod approach to pinpoint the validity of aggregated governance indicators. Quality & Quantity, 44, S. 849–864. DOI: doi.org/10.1007/s11135-009-9238-7
Other Publications
Neumann, R. 2026.
Abschlussbericht Vorlaufstudie zur Unterstützung der weiteren Strategieentwicklung – Bedarfsabfrage 2025. Arbeitskreis E-Learning der LRK Sachsen, Technische Universität Dresden, Center for Open Digital Innovation and Participation (CODIP), DOI: doi.org/10.25368/2026.060
Robert Neumann, Ralitsa Boneva, Luise Richter. 2025.
Innovative und bürgerorientierte Kommunikations-
strategien im Öffentlichen Gesundheitsdienst (ÖGD), Abschlussbericht des INNO-RESPONSE Projekts, OpenAccess @zenodo, DOI: doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15609676
Neumann, R. 2023.
Evaluating the Quality Assurance Processes in Scholarly Publishing. Final
Report of the EQUAP2 project. OpenAccess @zenodo, DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7612114
Hagen von Hermanni, Jasmin Kadel et al. 2022.
Alle an Bord? Über die Rechtfertigung von staatlichen Präventionsmaßnahmen in Krisenzeiten. In Karl-Heinz Reuband (Hrsg). Mythos Dresden? Kulturelle Repräsentationen und Soziale Transformationen, Dresden: Thelem, 317-340.
Neumann, R. 2022.
"Hilf Christian, aber nicht Mohammed? Ein Lost-Letter-Feldexperiment zu pro-sozialem Verhalten in Dresden." In Karl-Heinz Reuband (Hrsg). Mythos Dresden? Kulturelle Repräsentationen und Soziale Transformationen, Dresden: Thelem Verlag, 414-436.
Michael Häder, Neumann, R. 2019. "Datenqualität." In Michael Häder, Sabine Häder, Patrick Schmich (Hrsg). Qualitätsstandards bei telefonischen Mixed-Mode-Survey, ASI Reihe, Wiesbaden: Springer VS,157-208.
Neumann, R. 2016. "The devil is in the details - four remarks on the legitimacy of choice architecture." in: Alexandra Kemmerer, Christoph Möllers, Maximilian Steinbeis, Gerhard Wagner (Hrsg). Choice Architecture in Democracies, Exploring the Legitimacy of Nudging, Hart/Nomos, S. 197-218.
Neumann, R. 2014. "Analyse der Antwortqualität durch Reaktionszeitmessungen - Alles eine Frage der Operationalisierung?" in: M. Häder & R. Neumann (Hg.) Auswahlprobleme und Antwortverhalten bei Telefonbefragungen. Dresdner Beiträge zur Soziologie Band 5. S. 91-134. Münster: Verlagshaus Monsenstein & Vannerdat. Link
Michael Häder & Neumann, R. 2014. "Einleitung" in: M. Häder & R. Neumann (Hg.) Auswahlprobleme und Antwortverhalten bei Telefonbefragungen. Dresdner Beiträge zur Soziologie Band 5. S. 1-10. Münster: Verlagshaus Monsenstein & Vannerdat. Link
Neumann, R. 2014. „Aggregated Governance Indicators“ in: Alex Michalos (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Quality of Life Research. Springer Press, S. 100-104.
Peter Graeff, Guido Mehlkop & Neumann, R. 2008 “Cut government, but the right part of it - the impact of fiscal and quasi-fiscal regulations on corruption.“ In: Graeff, P. & Mehlkop, G. (Hrsg.) Unterstützung und Ausgrenzung durch sozialen Zusammenhalt – Human- und Sozialkapital in der empirischen soziologischen Forschung. Dresdner Beiträge zur Soziologie Band 3. MV Wissenschaft , S. 135-153.