Panel Effects: Do the Reports of Panel Respondents Get Better or Worse over Time?

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 572-588
Author(s):  
Hanyu Sun ◽  
Roger Tourangeau ◽  
Stanley Presser
Keyword(s):  
Missing Data ◽  
Data Quality ◽  
General Social Survey ◽  
Panel Survey ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Counter Terrorism ◽  
Item Functioning ◽  
Panel Effects ◽  
Over Time

Abstract It is well established that taking part in earlier rounds of a panel survey can affect how respondents answer questions in later rounds. It is less clear, however, whether panel participation affects the quality of the data that respondents provide. We examined two panels to investigate how participation affects several indicators of data quality—including straightlining, item missing data, scale reliabilities, and differences in item functioning over time—and to test the hypotheses that it is less educated and older respondents who mainly account for any panel effects. The two panels were the GfK Knowledge Panel, in which some respondents completed up to four rounds measuring their attitudes toward terrorism and ways to counter terrorism, and the General Social Survey (GSS), in which respondents completed up to three rounds with an omnibus set of questions. The two panels differ sharply in terms of response rates and the level of prior survey experience of the respondents. Most of our comparisons are within-respondent, comparing the answers panel members gave in earlier rounds with those they gave in later rounds, but we also confirm the main results using between-subject comparisons. We find little evidence that respondents gave either better or worse data over time in either panel and little support for either the education or age hypotheses.

scholarly journals THE OCCURRENCE OF MISSING DATA IN SURVEYS

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-103
Author(s):  
Wioleta Zdebska
Keyword(s):  
Missing Data ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
General Social Survey ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Social Survey

The purpose of this article is to discuss issues related to the analysis of missing data. Why do missing data occur in a data set? What percentage of the collected data constitutes missing data? What is the nature of missing data that emerges during data collection? The above questions are extremely important in assessing conducted surveys or in evaluating the quality of the collected data. A lack of reflection on the aspects mentioned above may lead to false conclusions and recommendations. This article presents not only an overview of the literature regarding missing data, but also shows how in a practical way an analysis of the randomness of missing data can be performed. The analysis presented in the article is based on data collected as part of the Polish General Social Survey carried out in 2008. The main recommendation of the author is to conduct an analysis of the randomness of missing data before analyzing the collected data.

scholarly journals Economic Aspects of the Missing Data Problem – the Case of the Patient Registry

2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (5) ◽  
pp. 1779-1791
Author(s):  
Hatice Uenal ◽  
David Hampel
Keyword(s):  
Missing Data ◽  
Data Quality ◽  
Quality Analysis ◽  
Quality Of Data ◽  
Quality Costs ◽  
Missing Data Problem ◽  
Study Results ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Cost Factors

Registries are indispensable in medical studies and provide the basis for reliable study results for research questions. Depending on the purpose of use, a high quality of data is a prerequisite. However, with increasing registry quality, costs also increase accordingly. Considering these time and cost factors, this work is an attempt to estimate the cost advantages of applying statistical tools to existing registry data, including quality evaluation. Results for quality analysis showed that there are unquestionable savings of millions in study costs by reducing the time horizon and saving on average € 523,126 for every reduced year. Replacing additionally the over 25 % missing data in some variables, data quality was immensely improved. To conclude, our findings showed dearly the importance of data quality and statistical input in avoiding biased conclusions due to incomplete data.

scholarly journals Advantages of Matched Over Unmatched Opt-in Samples for Studying Criminal Justice Attitudes: A Research Note

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Graham ◽  
Justin Pickett ◽  
Francis T. Cullen
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Data Quality ◽  
Recent Work ◽  
Multivariate Regression ◽  
General Social Survey ◽  
Prior Work ◽  
Similar Magnitude ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Wrong Direction ◽  
Data Source

PURPOSE: Despite the growing popularity of online opt-in samples in criminology, recent work shows that resultant findings often do not generalize. Not all opt-in samples are alike, however, and matching may improve data quality. Replicating and extending prior work, we compare the generalizability of relational inferences from unmatched and matched opt-in samples.METHODS: Estimating identical models for four criminal justice outcomes, we compare multivariate regression results from national matched (YouGov) and unmatched (MTurk) opt-in samples to those from the General Social Survey (GSS). RESULTS: YouGov coefficients are almost always in the same direction as GSS coefficients, especially when statistically significant, and are mostly of a similar magnitude; less than 10% of the YouGov and GSS coefficients differ significantly. By contrast, MTurk coefficients are more likely to be in the wrong direction, more likely to be much larger or smaller, and are over twice as likely to differ significantly from GSS coefficients.CONCLUSIONS: Matched opt-in samples provide a relatively inexpensive data source for criminal justice researchers, compared to probability samples, and also appear to carry a smaller generalizability penalty than unmatched samples. Our study suggests relational inferences from matched opt-in samples are more likely to generalize than those from unmatched samples.

scholarly journals Comparing the Data Quality of GPS Devices and Smartphones for Assessing Relationships between Place, Mobility, and Health: A Field Study (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Goodspeed ◽  
Xiang Yan ◽  
Jean Hardy ◽  
V.G. Vinod Vydiswaran ◽  
Veronica J. Berrocal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Missing Data ◽  
Data Quality ◽  
Mobile Devices ◽  
Fast Food ◽  
Chronically Ill ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Activity Space ◽  
Trace Data ◽  
Gps Devices

BACKGROUND Mobile devices are increasingly used to collect location-based information from individuals about their physical activities, dietary intake, environmental exposures, and mental well-being. Such research, which typically uses wearable devices or smartphones to track location, benefits from the growing availability of fine-grained data regarding human mobility. However, little is known about the comparative geospatial accuracy of such devices. OBJECTIVE In this study, we compared the data quality of location information collected from two mobile devices which determine location in different ways — a GPS watch and a smartphone with Google’s Location History feature enabled. METHODS Twenty-one chronically ill participants carried both devices, which generated digital traces of locations, for 28 days. A smartphone-based brief ecological momentary assessment (EMA) survey asked participants to manually report their location at four random times throughout each day. Participants also took also part in qualitative interviews and completed surveys twice during the study period in which they reviewed recent phone and watch trace data to compare the devices’ trace data to their memory of their activities on those days. Trace data from the devices were compared on the basis of: (1) missing data days; (2) reasons for missing data; (3) distance between the route data collected for matching day and the associated EMA survey locations; and (4) activity space total area and density surfaces. RESULTS The watch resulted in a much higher proportion of missing data days, with missing data explained by technical differences between the devices, as well as participant behaviors. The phone was significantly more accurate in detecting home locations, and marginally significantly more accurate for all types of locations combined. The watch data resulted in a smaller activity space area and more accurately recorded outdoor travel and recreation. CONCLUSIONS The most suitable mobile device for location based health research depends on the particular study objectives. Further, data generated from mobile devices, such as GPS phone and smart watches, requires careful analysis to ensure quality and completeness. Studies that seek precise measurement of outdoor activity and travel, such as measuring outdoor physical activity or exposure to localized environmental hazards, would benefit from use of GPS devices. Conversely, studies that aim to account for time within buildings at home or work, or that document visits to particular places (such as supermarkets, medical facilities, or fast food restaurants), would benefit from the phone’s demonstrated greater precision in recording indoor activities. CLINICALTRIAL N/A

Why Do the Affluent Find Inequality Increasingly Unjust? Changing Inequality and Justice Perceptions in Germany, 1994–2014

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 651-668 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Sachweh ◽  
Evelyn Sthamer
Keyword(s):  
Procedural Justice ◽  
General Social Survey ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Perceived Injustice ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Explanatory Factors ◽  
Income Groups ◽  
Justice Perceptions ◽  
Over Time

AbstractIn the wake of rising inequality in Germany during the last 20 years, we document a corresponding increase in perceptions of injustice among the population. Based on data from the cumulated German General Social Survey (ALLBUS), we show that this increase in perceived injustice is driven mainly by a rising share of affluent respondents who find society unjust, resulting in a convergence across income groups towards more critical attitudes. We try to explain this puzzling development based on outcome-related justice assessments and perceptions of procedural justice. We find that outcome-related justice assessments cannot explain the trend over time, but affect the overall level of injustice perceptions. The influence of perceptions of procedural justice, however, is more pronounced among affluent respondents and partly explains the increase in injustice perceptions within this group. These results are robust for different operationalizations as well as model specifications and are not due to compositional effects. Since we cannot account entirely for the rise in injustice perceptions among the affluent, explanatory factors not covered by our data are likely to exist. We conclude with a discussion of potential explanations that future research should address.

Trends in Marital Happiness by Gender and Race, 1973 to 2006

2009 ◽  
Vol 30 (10) ◽  
pp. 1379-1404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mamadi Corra ◽  
Shannon K. Carter ◽  
J. Scott Carter ◽  
David Knox
Keyword(s):  
General Social Survey ◽  
The Other ◽  
Marital Happiness ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Gender And Race ◽  
Race And Gender ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Over Time

This article uses data from the 1973-2006 General Social Survey to assess the interactive impact of race and gender on marital happiness over time. Findings indicate independent and significant effects for both variables, with Whites and husbands reporting greater marital happiness than Blacks and wives. Comparing four subgroups (White husbands, White wives, Black husbands, and Black wives), the authors find that White husbands report the highest levels of marital happiness whereas Black wives report the lowest. Assessment of trends from the 1970s to the 2000s reveals a convergence among the groups: Although White husbands consistently report the highest levels of marital happiness, there has been a steady decline in the gap between all four groups. Most notably, Black wives exhibit a significant increase in marital happiness relative to the other groups. Findings are discussed in the context of the changing structure and composition of families in contemporary U.S. society.

Forms of Group Involvement: Alternatives to the Standard Question

2021 ◽  
pp. 073112142110465
Author(s):  
Claude Fischer ◽  
Xavier Durham
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Methodological Issue ◽  
General Social Survey ◽  
Panel Survey ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Group Life ◽  
Group Involvement

Deciding whether Americans have become decreasingly involved in group life entails a methodological issue: Does the standard question about the associations to which respondents belong, asked for decades by the General Social Survey (GSS) and many others, miss newer and more diverse forms of group involvement? Following on Paxton and Rap, we mine a recent panel survey, UCNets, that provides several different means for allowing respondents to describe their group involvement. We observe more and much more varied kinds of group involvement than those elicited by the last GSS administration of the standard question in 2004. (Analyses in the Supplement of a few additional surveys confirm this diversity.) These results lead to suggestions for how to better measure involvement in groups, in particular being more sensitive to many axes of difference in the general population. The results have implications for the larger debate as well.

The Evolution of Public Opinion about Gay Marriage

2018 ◽  
pp. 72-95
Author(s):  
Peter Hart-Brinson
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
General Social Survey ◽  
Gay Marriage ◽  
Moral Judgments ◽  
Attitudes And Beliefs ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Period Effects ◽  
Age Cohort ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Over Time

Using data from the General Social Survey and the Pew Research Center, this chapter analyzes the extent to which the change in American public opinion about gay marriage between 1988 and 2014 is due to age, cohort, and period effects. It also examines the extent to which people’s moral judgments, attitudes, and beliefs about homosexuality account for the change in public opinion over time. The analyses show that cohort and period have effects on support for gay marriage, independent of ideology, worldview, and other demographic variables, but they leave unanswered questions about how and why cohort and period affect public opinion as they do.

scholarly journals Quality of Cancer Registry Data: Botswana Experience, Demonstrating Improvements Over Time

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 43s-43s
Author(s):  
Malebogo Pusoentsi ◽  
Bame P. Shatera ◽  
Setlogelo Motlogi ◽  
Tuduetso Monagen ◽  
Neo Tapela ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Quality ◽  
Cancer Registry ◽  
Death Certificate ◽  
Kaposi Sarcoma ◽  
Cancer Registries ◽  
Health Systems Strengthening ◽  
Registry Data ◽  
Cancer Registry Data ◽  
Over Time

Abstract 69 Background: One of the challenges to addressing the growing burden of cancer in low- and middle-income countries is insufficient data and limitations in quality of cancer registries. The Botswana National Cancer Registry (BNCR), first established in 1999, is an IARC-endorsed population-based registry covering a population of 2.1 million. Here we assess BNCR's data quality over time. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of BNCR data that was collected between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2010. We assessed basis of cancer diagnosis, as well as key data quality indices (completeness, consistency, uniqueness, and accuracy) over two time periods: 2005–2007 and 2008–2010. We assessed cancer incidence and distribution during this time period, and reviewed Botswana Ministry of Health operational documents to identify major health care initiatives that may have had a bearing on cancer registry data quality. Results: In total, 8,938 cancer cases were registered 2005-2010. Kaposi sarcoma was the most commonly diagnosed cancer (n=1766, 19.4%), followed by cervical cancer (n=1252, 13.8%) and then breast cancer (n=801, 8.8%). During 2005-2007, 79% of all cancers were morphologically verified and 6% of were verified by death certificate alone. By 2008-2010, 89% of cancers were morphologically verified while none (0%) were verified by death certificate alone. There was a marked difference for basis of Kaposi sarcoma diagnosis (26% in 2005-2007, 43.8% 2008-2010), which changed from mainly clinical to pathology-based diagnosis. Factors that have contributed to this improvement include targeted initiatives such as clinician training, as well as broader health system developments such as general laboratory diagnostic capacitation that has facilitated use of histopathology services for cancer. Conclusion: BNCR data quality has improved over the years. These improvements enhance utility of cancer registry data for healthcare planning, and highlight the merit of cross-cutting health systems strengthening developments. This assessment, and the initiatives that have contributed to BNCR data improvement may be relevant to cancer registries in similar settings. AUTHORS' DISCLOSURES OF POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: No COIs from the authors.

Nonstandard Employment and Job Satisfaction across Time in China: Evidence from the Chinese General Social Survey (2006–2012)

2020 ◽  
pp. 095001702092636
Author(s):  
Kritkorn Nawakitphaitoon ◽  
Can Tang
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
General Social Survey ◽  
Employment Relations ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Nonstandard Employment ◽  
Chinese General Social Survey ◽  
Ownership Types ◽  
Over Time

This study examines the association of nonstandard employment with job satisfaction over time in China. An analysis is carried out using the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS), a large cross-sectional survey that collected data from over 3000 workers across different industries, ownership types and regions in China in 2006, 2008 and 2012. The empirical results show that in 2006, nonstandard employment workers, on average, were less satisfied with their jobs than their counterparts in standard employment, all else being equal. However, these differences in job satisfaction became very small and insignificant in 2008 and 2012. The results from the propensity score matching exercise provide a similar conclusion. These findings suggest that improvements in regulations and employment relations in China have increased job satisfaction for nonstandard employment workers.

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