Economists have devoted increasing attention to the magnitude and consequences of measurement error in their data. Most discussions of measurement error are based on the “classical” assumption that errors in measuring a particular variable are uncorrelated with the true value of that...

This paper considers measurement error from a new perspective. In surveys, response errors are often caused by the fact that respondents recall past events and quantities imperfectly. We explore the consequences of recall errors for such key econometric is- sues as the identification of marginal...

It is common practice to adapt the format of a question to the mode of data collection. Multi-coded questions in self-completion and face-to-face modes tend to be transformed for telephone into a series of 'yes/no' questions. Questions with response scales are often branched in telephone...

We propose a new method for using validation data to correct self-reported weight and height in surveys that do not weigh and measure respondents. The standard correction from prior research regresses actual measures on reported values using an external validation dataset, and then uses the...

The use of process-produced data plays a large and growing role in empirical labor market research. To address data problems, previous research have developed deductive correction rules that make use of within-person information. We test data reliability and the effectiveness of different...

With proactive dependent interviewing respondents are reminded of the answer they gave in the previous interview, before being asked about their current status. We examine the risk that respondents falsely confirm the answers from the previous interview as still applying, using data from a panel...

Due to empirical research, tax and accounting compliance costs are a considerable burden for private businesses. However, cost estimates may be biased due to survey nonresponse and questionnaire framing effects. This paper investigates the impact of both aspects on the estimated cost burden. I...

Web surveys technically allow providing feedback to respondents based on their previous responses. This personalized feedback may not only be used to target follow-up questions, it also allows test results to be returned immediately to respondents. This paper argues that the possibility of...