Investigating the Determinants that Influence Consent Behavior for Linking Survey Data with Administrative Records

Abstract

This research investigates the determinants of consent behavior in linking survey and administrative data, filling a notable gap in existing studies. It conducts a thorough systematic review of a wide variety of surveys from multiple countries, examining survey and consent design characteristics to assess their influence on consent rates. Through statistical analysis, the study evaluates numerous factors such as survey response rate, topic, country, year, type, mode, age of target population, sponsor, and various aspects related to the consent request process. The findings suggest that higher consent rates are more likely in computer assisted telephone interview (CATI) compared to self-administered surveys, in surveys sponsored by governments, in panel surveys as opposed to cross-sectional ones, and where explicit consent is sought, especially when the consent request is made at the start of the survey. This research makes a significant contribution to academic literature by empirically demonstrating the effect of various survey and consent design features on consent behavior, providing essential insights for crafting surveys to maximize consent rates for data linkage. It closes an important research gap in survey methodology and the behavior on data linkage consent, offering a unique, extensive analysis across a broad range of international surveys.