EPUNet Training Course
2005
Day 1
Tutors:
Olaf Jürgens and Christian Schmitt
Berlin, April 11th to April 15th
2005
Overview
– Questionnaires
– PDB vs. UDB
– Ex-Post vs. Ex-Ante Harmonization
Questionnaires
PDB Questionnaires (Production Data Base)
PDB contains the following files:
 Personal File
 Household File
 Personal Register File
 Household Register File
This is the data that was collected in the field
Questionnaires
UDB Questionnaires (User Data Base)
UDB data is based on a conversion of PDB
data that is similar for all countries
Central tool for getting information
 ECHP UDB Description of Variables
(Doc-Pan 166)
Codebook referring to ECHP contents
and cross national differences
ECHP Participation across Europe
ECHP consists of 8 waves
All countries 1994 to 2001 except:
– Austria (1995-2001)
– Finland (1996-2001)
– Luxembourg (1995-2001)
– Sweden (1997-2001 cross-section only!)
From PDB to UDB
ECHP Data generation – two step process
 PDB vs.
 UDB
PDB: Collecting the data in the field by NDUs
(National Data Units)
Transmission of data to EUROSTAT
UDB: Converting national data using a
generalized algorithm into User Data Base
format
Ex-Ante (Input) Harmonization
Concept: Unique set of questions as basis for
a cross national comparable data-set
True for all countries except
– Luxembourg (PSELL, 1995-2001)
– Germany (SOEP)
– UK (BHPS)
Ex-Ante (Input) Harmonization
Concept: Unique set of questions as basis for
a cross national comparable data-set
Further Exceptions:
– Timing of national panels
– Cloning of national data sets
– Differences in modes of data collection
– Differences in national settings (policy
settings, etc.)
Ex-Post (Output) Harmonization
Data is transformed (cloned) to fit a unique
concept after data collection
– Luxembourg (PSELL) (wave 2, 1995)
– Germany (SOEP)
– UK (BHPS)
Both (bold) starting with wave 1 (1994)
 Limitations
 Advantages
Ex-Post (Output) Harmonization
Limitations
 Different tracing rules
 Different panel mortality structure
Coverage of questionnaires:
 Inconvertible variables
 Unavailable variables
 Different wording of variables
 Different contents of variables
Ex-Post (Output) Harmonization
Unavailable Information:
Luxembourg
• Labour market related variables
• Household durables
• Education/Training
• Health
• Care
• Migration
• Life satisfaction
Ex-Post (Output) Harmonization
Unavailable Information:
UK
• Financial Situation (Household)
•
•
•
•
Employment related information
Health
Care
Life satisfaction
Ex-Post (Output) Harmonization
Unavailable Information:
Germany
• Household durables
• Health
• Care
• Migration
• Life satisfaction (problems of scale)
• Current (Re-)Training and Education
Ex-Post (Output) Harmonization
Advantages
 Reliable data sources
 Available range and depth of information
 Flexible integration of country-specific
settings and concepts
Input/Output Harmonization
For more details on ECHP related harmonization see:
Roland Günther (2003): CHINTEX Working paper #19.
http://www.destatis.de/chintex/proj_des/wp_1.htm
Files to use
– PDB-UDB.xls
– Country-File (as example for the two German
samples)