Linking public issues with private troubles: panel studies in developing countries

Trudy Harpham, Sharon Huttly, Ian Wilson and Thea De Wet
Additional contact information
Trudy Harpham: South Bank University, London, UK, Postal: South Bank University, London, UK
Sharon Huttly: London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK, Postal: London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
Ian Wilson: The University of Reading, Reading, UK, Postal: The University of Reading, Reading, UK
Thea De Wet: Rand Afrikaans University, South Africa, Postal: Rand Afrikaans University, South Africa

Journal of International Development, 2003, vol. 15, issue 3, 353-363

Abstract: Accompanying the call for increased evidence-based policy the developed world is implementing more longitudinal panel studies which periodically gather information about the same people over a number of years. Panel studies distinguish between transitory and persistent states (e.g. poverty, unemployment) and facilitate causal explanations of relationships between variables. However, they are complex and costly. A growing number of developing countries are now implementing or considering starting panel studies. The objectives of this paper are to identify challenges that arise in panel studies, and to give examples of how these have been addressed in resource-constrained environments. The main issues considered are: the development of a conceptual framework which links macro and micro contexts; sampling the cohort in a cost-effective way; tracking individuals; ethics and data management and analysis. Panel studies require long term funding, a stable institution and an acceptance that there will be limited value for money in terms of results from early stages, with greater benefits accumulating in the study's mature years. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Date: 2003
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1002/jid.988 Link to full text; subscription required (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wly:jintdv:v:15:y:2003:i:3:p:353-363

DOI: 10.1002/jid.988

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of International Development is currently edited by Paul Mosley and Hazel Johnson

More articles in Journal of International Development from John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Wiley Content Delivery ().