Error trade-offs in panel surveys 2012-2015

In this project, data were used from:
- the British Household Panel Survey (wave 1-18), punlic release data file (GN33196), as available here.
- several waves of the Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social Sciences, data available through www.lissdata.nl

The data were used to study nonresponse and measurement errors in panel surveys, and study the trade-off between the two in a longuitudinal setting.<p>Panel surveys involve groups of people or households that are followed over time.

From panel surveys,a lot can be learnt as long as the measurement of all topics of interest is without error. There are two sources of error that threaten to make panel data invalid and unreliable. First, nonresponse among specific respondents, and second errors in measurement of the topic of interest using survey questions. Survey methodologists worry that errors due to nonresponse and measurement interact. Some reasons for nonresponse might at the same time also be a reason for reporting with more measurement error. Lower cognitive abilities, complex income compositions, or language difficulties are among these.
In this research project, trade-offs and common causes for both nonresponse error and measurement error are studied using a Latent Variable modeling approach, using data from the British Household Panel Survey.Understanding the trade-off better will enable researchers to compare the nature and size of both errors, and make better informed decisions in trying to limit survey errors, and reduce the costs of trying to minimise such errors.</p>