A Cost–Benefit Analysis of Reinterview Designs for Estimating and Adjusting Mode Measurement Effects: A Case Study for the Dutch Health Survey and Labour Force Survey

Abstract

Reinterview designs are a potential tool to estimate and adjust for mode measurement effects, that is, relative differences in mode-specific measurement error bias. In 2011, a reinterview design was successfully applied to the Dutch Crime Victimization Survey, which led to a redesign of the survey. Reinterview designs may, however, be very costly, especially when face to face is included as a survey mode. The crucial question is whether benefits outweigh costs, that is, whether the potential increase in the accuracy of survey statistics is worth the investment. The answer to this question depends heavily on the purpose of the reinterview, that is, assessment versus adjustment, the size of the measurement effects, and the relative cost of the modes. Reinterview designs also make a number of assumptions that will not hold for every setting. In this article, we perform a cost–benefit analysis for two surveys, the Dutch Health Survey and the Dutch Labour Force Survey, and discuss the utility and validity of reinterviews. We conclude that a reinterview may not be useful due to relatively small measurement differences for the Labour Force Survey, whereas it may be useful for the Health Survey.