Survey Research and Methods

“Measurement Error in Household Surveys: Sources and Measurement.” Daniel Kasprzyk, 2005. In Household Sample Surveys in Developing and Transition Countries (Chapter IX). Household surveys are an important source of socioeconomic data and often yield important indicators to inform and monitor development policies. In developing countries, they have become a significant form of data collection, supplementing or sometimes even replacing other data collection programs. This chapter, in a publication from the United Nations, describes the primary sources of measurement error found in sample surveys and the methods typically used to quantify measurement error.

Public Health: Best Practices

"Identifying Best Practices for WISEWOMAN Programs Using a Mixed-Methods Evaluation." Melanie Besculides, Heather Zaveri, Rosanne Farris, and Julie Will. In Preventing Chronic Disease, January 2006. Because recommendations on best practices for public health programs typically are drawn from unique settings, they can be challenging to implement in programs already in operation. The authors describe a mixed-methods evaluation that integrated quantitative and qualitative inquiry to identify best practices in implementing lifestyle interventions in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's WISEWOMAN program. The program involves screening for risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease and lifestyle interventions for participants, who must be uninsured and ineligible for Medicaid, and discusses lessons learned in using the approach.

Work-Focused Disability Programs

"A More Work-Focused Disability Program? Challenges and Options." David Wittenburg and Pamela Loprest. Journal of Rehabilitation Administration, December 2005. Promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities into the mainstream and expanding their employment opportunities have received increasing attention from policymakers in recent years. This article discusses options for incorporating a strong return-to-work focus in eligibility requirements for Social Security Administration (SSA) disability programs. The authors review work-focused disability concepts from other programs and examine the implications of applying them to SSA's eligibility requirements. They conclude that policymakers must balance the costs of creating expanded criteria that focus on work—which will increase the size of the caseload—with the other costs of an all-or-nothing disability definition.

Snapshot of Child Care Arrangements

“Child Care and Early Education Arrangements of Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers: 2001.” Gail M. Mulligan, DeeAnn Brimhall, and Jerry West, November 2005. This report is the latest in a National Center for Education Statistics series on young children’s nonparental care arrangements and educational program participation. It presents the most recent data available for children under the age of six, taken from the 2001 administration of the Early Childhood Program Participation Survey, National Household Education Surveys Program. Variation in participation rates by characteristics of children (age and race/ethnicity) and their families (household income and mothers’ education and employment status), as well as by poverty status and geographic region or residence, are examined. Additionally, the report looks at how the child, family, and community characteristics are related to the time children spend in nonparental care each week and to the amount their families pay for care.