Impact of Dependent Interviewing on Interview Dynamics: Implications for Longitudinal Study Design, 2006

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.This mixed methods study aimed to further knowledge of how survey design and implementation features impact interview dynamics. Interview dynamics, or the interaction between respondents and interviewers, are governed in part by the survey instrument itself and can significantly affect data quality, most notably measurement error. Since the quality of survey data underpins much social and economic research in the UK, and thereby the evidence base for policy and practice decisions, understanding interview dynamics is important. The study focused on design and implementation features associated with dependent interviewing (DI), a set of techniques that are becoming more widely used on major UK longitudinal surveys. DI is a survey design tool by which researchers word questions or route respondents through a questionnaire depending on information previously gathered from the respondent. Data were collected as part of the pilot for Wave 16 of the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) (the main BHPS is available from the UKDA under SN 5151). The BHPS pilot sample covers households drawn from former the European Community Household Panel (ECHP) study. All pilot sample households were previously contacted and interviewed as part of the study Improving Survey Measurement of Income and Employment, 2001-2003 (available from the UKDA under SN 5157). Further information about the project can be found on the ESRC Impact of Dependent Interviewing on Interview Dynamics: Implications for Longitudinal Survey Design award web page. Data users are advised to refer to the BHPS documentation for background information on the ECHP sub-sample and general survey processes and data characteristics. The BHPS documentation is available from the Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER) web site or via the latest UKDA edition of BHPS. Main Topics:The quantitative data comprise 29 data files which cover different sections of the pilot survey. The qualitative data comprise partial transcriptions of respondent interviews, as only the sections of the survey involving dependent interviewing were transcribed, and a complete transcription of the interviewer focus group discussion. The focus of the individual interviews are economic activity and benefits.