Examining interviewer-respondent interactions in the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF)

• Activity Number: 512
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Wednesday, August 6, 2014 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
• Sponsor: Survey Research Methods Section
• Author(s): Kevin Moore*+ and Jesse Bricker and John Sabelhaus
• Companies: Federal Reserve Board and Federal Reserve Board and Federal Reserve Board
• Keywords: Data editing ; data quality ; interviewer ; paradata

Abstract

In order to improve accuracy in the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF), a feature was included in the survey software to allow the interviewer to make comments-both question-specific and general comments-about their interaction with the respondent. These comments are then used during the editing process to fix the data so that it properly reflects the respondent's situation. This paper focuses on how these comments drive edits, and improve data quality. Examining the data, particularly the heavily edited pension and income sections, reveals that a high percentage of variables require editing, and a high percentage of these edits are in fact motivated at least partially by these comments. Respondent confusion due to complicated survey questions and complicated respondent situations can both be ameliorated by the use of these interviewer comments, making them a valuable part of the survey process