Address-Based Sampling Frames for Beginners

• Activity Number: 597
• Type: Topic Contributed
• Date/Time: Thursday, August 7, 2014 : 8:30 AM to 10:20 AM
• Sponsor: Survey Research Methods Section
• Author(s): Sylvia Dohrmann*+ and Jill Montaquila and Trent D. Buskirk and Ashley Hyon
• Companies: Westat and Westat and Marketing Systems Group and Marketing Systems Group
• Keywords: ABS ; USPS ; area samples

Abstract

Address lists originating from the United States Postal Service (USPS) have been used as sampling frames in various survey modes for more than a decade. Surveys that might otherwise have opted for random digit dial (RDD) sampling with telephone interviewing are now using these address lists as sampling frames. Multi-stage area probability sample surveys with in-person data collection are using these address lists in place of the traditional address listing process. The lists are only available to survey researchers through third-party vendors who append auxiliary information to the lists which can be used in the sampling process in addition to the delivery information from the USPS. Together, these data have become known as address-based sampling (ABS) frames. This paper gives an overview of ABS frames including the USPS- and vendor-provided information available and its utility for survey research.