Effects of the COVID-19 crisis on survey fieldwork: Experience and lessons from two major supplements to the U.S. Panel Study of Income Dynamics

Two major supplements to the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) were in the field during the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States: the 2019 waves of the PSID Child Development Supplement (CDS-19) and the PSID Transition into Adulthood Supplement (TAS-19). Both CDS-19 and TAS-19 abruptly termina...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Survey research methods Vol. 14; no. 2; pp. 241 - 245
Main Authors: Sastry, Narayan, McGonagle, Katherine, Fomby, Paula
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Germany European Survey Research Association 04.06.2020
Subjects:
Survey fieldwork; in-person interviewing; telephone interviewing; fieldwork disruption; panel surveys; Covid-19
COVID-19
in-person interviewing
telephone interviewing
panel surveys
Survey fieldwork
fieldwork disruption
ISSN:1864-3361, 1864-3361
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Two major supplements to the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) were in the field during the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States: the 2019 waves of the PSID Child Development Supplement (CDS-19) and the PSID Transition into Adulthood Supplement (TAS-19). Both CDS-19 and TAS-19 abruptly terminated all face-to-face fieldwork and, for TAS-19, shifted interviewers from working in a centralized call center to working from their homes. Overall, COVID-19 had a net negative effect on response rates in CDS-19 and terminated all home visits that represented an important study component. For TAS-19, the overall effect of Covid-19 was uncertain, but negative. The costs were high of adapting to COVID-19 and providing paid time-off benefits to staff affected by the pandemic. Longitudinal surveys, such as CDS, TAS, and PSID, that span the pandemic will provide valuable information on its life course and intergenerational consequences, making ongoing data collection of vital importance.
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ISSN:1864-3361
1864-3361
DOI:10.18148/srm/2020.v14i2.7752