What factors should be considered when an analysis uses data from more than one survey?
For a few measures, data from more than one survey are available. Before combining information from different surveys, researchers should consider the comparability of the data. Some factors that might be considered include differences in the wording of the survey question, response categories, respondent (e.g., proxy respondent for child or self report by child), mode of the survey (e.g., in-person household interview, telephone interview, etc.), context for a survey question (i.e., the other items in the survey questionnaire and placement of a particular survey question in the survey questionnaire), and timing of the survey. Researchers comparing data from a single survey collected during different time periods also need to consider a similar set of factors affecting the comparability of the data.
