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Measurement issues associated with using survey data matched with administrative data from the Social Security
1Division of Policy Evaluation, Office of Research, Evaluation, and Statistics, Office of Retirement and Disability Policy, Social Security Administration, USA.
Social Security Bulletin
|August 25, 2009
Summary
Combining survey and administrative data offers research benefits but also presents drawbacks. This study examines the strengths and weaknesses of matched Social Security Administration data for research and policy evaluation.
Area of Science:
- Social Sciences
- Economics
- Public Policy
Background:
- Matched survey and administrative data offer rich demographic, economic, and programmatic details for research.
- While benefits are numerous, the drawbacks of using matched data have received less systematic attention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically examine the strengths and weaknesses of survey data matched with Social Security Administration administrative data.
- To inform researchers on data source selection and conceptual definitions for research, policy evaluation, and statistics.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of matched survey and administrative data from the Social Security Administration.
- Focus on four key areas: program participation/benefits, disability/health, earnings, and deferred compensation.
Main Results:
- Identified specific strengths and weaknesses in program participation, disability/health information, earnings, and deferred compensation.
- Highlighted implications for researchers in choosing appropriate data sources and definitions.
Conclusions:
- Matched survey and administrative data present unique measurement issues.
- Understanding these issues is crucial for accurate research, effective policy evaluation, and reliable statistics.
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