A design perspective on unique challenges of longitudinal surveys: panel attrition and panel conditioning – Bella Struminskaya

Longitudinal surveys which gather information from the same units at different point in time offer analytic and data collection advantages. However, there are unique drawbacks: panel attrition, whereby first wave participants discontinue participation and panel conditioning, a type of measurement error in which different answers are given in subsequent waves as a result of survey participation. These issues can be especially problematic for small samples. Survey methodology offers solutions on how to estimate the detrimental effects and reduce them. In this presentation, I will focus on practices that can help address panel conditioning and attrition challenges at the phase of designing data collection. The presentation aims to provide actionable guidelines for traditional data collection (face-to-face, telephone, mail, online) and discuss how these two challenges should be considered when designing data collection with smartphone sensors.

Bella Struminskaya
Utrecht University