Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: ABSTRACT

Tracking and locating respondents for longitudinal studies is an integral part of the survey enterprise. Research organizations call upon a variety of tools and methods for keeping in touch with respondents between interviewing waves and for locating respondents who move or who are difficult to find. For example, research organizations may send tracking/reminder letters in preparation for a later wave of interviewing. Researchers also contact friends and relatives of respondents to ask them for updated contact information. Additionally, until the 2001 passage of the Gramm, Leach Bliley Act, many research organizations were able to use credit bureau databases that were excellent sources for locating difficult-to-reach respondents. Since 2001, many restrictions have been placed on the use of financial services data to locate study participants. Two credit bureaus (Experian and Transunion) established separate databases that do not include information from financial services institutions so that these databases can still be accessed by most research firms.

This paper draws upon data from two, four-year studies and reports on the effectiveness of these newly established credit bureau databases and inter-wave tracking mailings on telephone survey completion rates. We use data from one full survey year for each of the studies. We have consistently reached a 75 percent completion rate for all completed waves of interviewing.