Enhancing the Quality of Data on Income
评估了HRS中两项旨在改进收入测量的调查创新：将收入问题与财富问题整合，以及使收入问题的询问周期与收入实际接收方式匹配。两项创新显著提高了收入报告质量，并提出了在其他调查中引入这些创新的建议。
Abstract This paper evaluates two survey innovations introduced in the HRS that aimed to improve income measurement. The innovations are (1) the integration of questions for income and wealth and (2) matching the periodicity over which income questions are asked to the typical way such income is received. Both innovations had significant impacts in improving the quality of income reports. For example, the integration of income questions into the asset module produced in HRS an across-wave 63 percent increase in the amount of income derived from financial assets, real estate investments and farm and business equity. Similarly, asking respondents to answer using a time interval consistent with how income is received substantially improved the quality of reports on social security income. Fortunately, we also suggest ways that these innovations can be introduced into other major social science surveys.