How to Reconstruct a Trend when Survey Questions Have Changed Over Time.
Many trend studies draw on survey data and compare responses to questions on the same topic that has been asked over time. A problem with such studies is that the questions often do not remain identical, due to changes in phrasing and response formats. We present ways to deal with this problem usin...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
European Survey Research Association
2021-04-01
|
| Series: | Survey Research Methods |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ojs.ub.uni-konstanz.de/srm/article/view/7725 |
| _version_ | 1811215001720979456 |
|---|---|
| author | Tineke de Jonge Akiko Kamesaka Ruut Veenhoven |
| author_facet | Tineke de Jonge Akiko Kamesaka Ruut Veenhoven |
| author_sort | Tineke de Jonge |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Many trend studies draw on survey data and compare responses to questions on the same topic that has been asked over time. A problem with such studies is that the questions often do not remain identical, due to changes in phrasing and response formats. We present ways to deal with this problem using trend data on life satisfaction in Japan as an illustrative case. Life satisfaction has been measured in the Life in Nation survey in Japan since 1958 and the question used has been changed several times. We looked at three methods published by scholars who tried to reconstruct a main trend in life satisfaction from these broken time-series, coming to different conclusions. In this paper we discuss their methods and present two new techniques for dealing with changes in survey questions on the same topic.
|
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T06:13:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-740938e17ac84f08a803eef042369d55 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1864-3361 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T06:13:50Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | European Survey Research Association |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Survey Research Methods |
| spelling | doaj.art-740938e17ac84f08a803eef042369d552022-12-22T03:44:35ZengEuropean Survey Research AssociationSurvey Research Methods1864-33612021-04-0115110.18148/srm/2021.v15i1.7725How to Reconstruct a Trend when Survey Questions Have Changed Over Time. Tineke de Jonge0Akiko Kamesaka1Ruut Veenhoven2Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Erasmus Happiness Economics Research OrganizationAoyama Gakuin University, Japan, School of Business Administration and Former Visiting Research Fellow, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), Cabinet Office, Government of Japan, JapanErasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Erasmus Happiness Research Organization and North-West University South-Africa, Opentia Research Program Many trend studies draw on survey data and compare responses to questions on the same topic that has been asked over time. A problem with such studies is that the questions often do not remain identical, due to changes in phrasing and response formats. We present ways to deal with this problem using trend data on life satisfaction in Japan as an illustrative case. Life satisfaction has been measured in the Life in Nation survey in Japan since 1958 and the question used has been changed several times. We looked at three methods published by scholars who tried to reconstruct a main trend in life satisfaction from these broken time-series, coming to different conclusions. In this paper we discuss their methods and present two new techniques for dealing with changes in survey questions on the same topic. https://ojs.ub.uni-konstanz.de/srm/article/view/7725Trend analysisresponse scale homogenizationsurvey questionshappinesslife satisfaction |
| spellingShingle | Tineke de Jonge Akiko Kamesaka Ruut Veenhoven How to Reconstruct a Trend when Survey Questions Have Changed Over Time. Survey Research Methods Trend analysis response scale homogenization survey questions happiness life satisfaction |
| title | How to Reconstruct a Trend when Survey Questions Have Changed Over Time. |
| title_full | How to Reconstruct a Trend when Survey Questions Have Changed Over Time. |
| title_fullStr | How to Reconstruct a Trend when Survey Questions Have Changed Over Time. |
| title_full_unstemmed | How to Reconstruct a Trend when Survey Questions Have Changed Over Time. |
| title_short | How to Reconstruct a Trend when Survey Questions Have Changed Over Time. |
| title_sort | how to reconstruct a trend when survey questions have changed over time |
| topic | Trend analysis response scale homogenization survey questions happiness life satisfaction |
| url | https://ojs.ub.uni-konstanz.de/srm/article/view/7725 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tinekedejonge howtoreconstructatrendwhensurveyquestionshavechangedovertime AT akikokamesaka howtoreconstructatrendwhensurveyquestionshavechangedovertime AT ruutveenhoven howtoreconstructatrendwhensurveyquestionshavechangedovertime |