Issues in the Design and Analysis of Panel Studies: A Cursory Review

This paper offers a broad review of some aspects in the design and analysis of panel studies, chiefly of household panel surveys. Both the analytic benefits and the potential problems of panel surveys are briefly outlined, and selected methodological and operational issues, which crucially affect data quality are highlighted. These questions are then considered under four headings: (i) dynamic population and its implications for initial sampling and following rules; (ii) panel length and number of waves; (iii) tracking and tracing techniques, and other strategies for maintaining high participation rates; (iv) questionnaire design and strategies for collecting retrospective information. While no technical details are offered, there is some discussion of the possible drawbacks and advantages of the different approaches described.