Geographic Distribution and Characteristics of Locked Buildings and Gated Communities: Gaining Access

• Activity Number: 120
• Type: Topic Contributed
• Date/Time: Monday, August 1, 2016 : 8:30 AM to 10:20 AM
• Sponsor: Survey Research Methods Section
• Author(s): Katherine Archambeau* and Rebecca Curtis and Kate Bachtell and Steven Pedlow and Catherine C. Haggerty and Kevin Moore and Jesse Bricker
• Companies: NORC at the University of Chicago and NORC at the University of Chicago and NORC at the University of Chicago and NORC at the University of Chicago and NORC at the University of Chicago and Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
• Keywords: Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) ; Gaining Access ; Locked Buildings ; Survey Cooperation

Abstract

As an in-person data collection endeavor, the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) attempts to reach survey respondents living in all types of housing arrangements. Gated communities and locked buildings are two examples that present special challenges for SCF data collectors. Both of these residence types have very specific barriers, such as guardhouses, locked gates, and/or doormen, to keep interviewers from reaching potential respondents. This paper will explore the spatial distribution of such residences to examine potential clustering by geographic region, urbanicity, or other variables of interest. Additionally, we will explore specific characteristics unique to these housing types. Housing units with such barriers typically require additional time for the interviewer to gain access, so it is important to identify sampled housing units that are part of locked buildings or gated communities early on in data collection. This paper will also discuss strategies for early identification of these units, as well as specific strategies for gaining access, whether through negotiations with community authorities, repeated attempts, or other less traditional methods.