As the children in the study have grown and changed, so have the modes used to collect the data. Changes in mode are not made lightly, and the decision to adopt a new mode is only taken when the benefits (such as improved data quality and increased respondent engagement) outweigh any possible negatives.

The most significant change between Waves 1 and 2 was the introduction of computer-assisted interviewing, replacing the paper form used for the main interview.  From Wave 2 to 3, the most important change was replacing the mailed-out paper form for the non-resident parent with a 30 minute telephone interview, resulting in a significant improvement to the response rate.

A number of major changes were implemented in Wave 4, which will be outlined during the presentation.  These include the use of an audio computer-assisted self interview (ACASI) for the older children, and a computer-assisted self interview (CASI) for the resident parent. This combination of CASI and ACASI provided the opportunity to introduce parallel interviewing – using two notebooks – minimising the time in the home by collecting data from two respondents at the same time.

Wave 4 also saw the introduction of a new format for the 24-hour child’s time use diary, which previously had been a light diary completed by the parents.  In Wave 4, children in the older cohort completed a simple paper diary the day prior to the interview and then, at interview, the interviewer entered these paper entries into the computer.  Results from Wave 4 so far indicate that this has been a success.

This presentation will outline the factors that were examined before making any change in data collection processes, as well as reviewing the research and development undertaken for the new instruments and processes.