An Innovative Approach to Frame Development for Hard-to-Identify Populations

• Activity Number: 414
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Tuesday, August 3, 2010 : 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Government Statistics
• Author(s): Tina Mainieri*+ and Jeri Mulrow and Sam Schildhaus and Emilda Rivers
• Companies: Survey Sciences Group, LLC and National Science Foundation and National Science Foundation and National Science Foundation
• Keywords: sample frames ; list assessments ; postdoctoral researchers

Abstract

The Postdoc Data Project (PDP) is a multi-year project with the overarching objective of determining the need for and the feasibility of gathering in-depth information on early career researchers, including postdocs, in the U.S. This group makes up less than one percent of the general population. A major challenge to the PDP involved identifying sources for lists of postdocs and early career researchers. The PDP used data collection methodologies, such as focus groups, record-keeping interviews, and surveys to assess potential lists. The idea was to use the methodologies up front in a quick turnaround fashion to rapidly winnow the field of potential lists by screening for eligibility at the time of frame development rather than at the time of data collection. This talk will describe the methods and challenges to determining list member eligibility and updating the contact information.