SIPP Core and Topical Modules

Organization and Issues

Jason Fields – US Census Bureau

Session 4: Designs that effectively mix global and detail information to reduce 

burden and measurement error.

June 1-2, 2011 

Committee on National Statistics

Household Survey Producers Workshop 

Conference Center, 20 F Street, NW, Washington DC
Current SIPP Basics

National panel survey – Since 1984 with sample size between 

about 11,000 and 45,000 interviewed households

The duration of each panel varies from 21⁄2 yrs to 4 yrs

The SIPP sample is a multistage-stratified sample of 

the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population

The current production survey uses a 4-month recall period 

– 3 interviews / year

The sample is divided into 4 rotation groups for monthly 

interviewing

Interviews are conducted by personal visit and by 

decentralized telephone

SIPP Core Content

• Coverage

• Demographics

• Labor Force 1

• General Income 1

• Assets 1

• Labor Force 2

• General Income 2

• Assets 2

• Health Insurance

• Education

• Programs

Household Level – Rostering and 

demographics.

Receipt incidence for each 

topic – (collects monthly data)

Amounts received for each topic 

observed – (collects monthly data)

Additional ‘core’ items asked each wave 

- (collects monthly data for Health Insurance and 

Education)

- these programs are household level school meal 

receipt – person level monthly programs are 

collected in general income.
Topical Modules for the 1984 Panel

WAVE TIME PERIOD TOPICAL MODULES

1 Oct 83 - Jan 84 No Topical Modules

2 Feb 84 - Apr 84 No Topical Modules

3 May 84 - Aug 84 Education and Work History

Health and Disability

4 Sep 84 - Dec 84 Assets and Liabilities

Retirement and Pension Plan Coverage

Housing Costs, Conditions and Energy Usage

5 Jan 85 - Apr 85 Child Care

Welfare History and Child Support

Reasons for Not Working/Reservation Wage

Support for Nonhousehold Members/Work Related Expenses

6 May 85 - Aug 85 Earnings and Benefits

Property Income and Taxes

Education and Training

7 Sep 85 - Dec 85 Assets and Liabilities

Pension Plan Coverage

Real Estate Property and Vehicles

8 Jan 86 - Mar 86 Support for Nonhousehold Members/Work Related Expenses

Marital History

Migration History

Fertility History

Household Relationships

9 Apr 86 - Jul 86 Annual Income and Retirement Accounts

Taxes

School Enrollment and Financing
Topical Modules for the 2004 Panel

WAVE TIME PERIOD TOPICAL MODULES 

1 Feb 04 - May 04 Recipiency History

Employment History

2 Jun 04 - Sept 04

Work Disability History

Education and Training History

Marital History

Migration History

Fertility History

Household Relationships

3 Oct 04 - Jan 05

Assets and Liabilities

Real Estate, Dependent Care, and Vehicles

Int Accts, Stocks, Mortg, Val of Bus, Rental, 

Other

Medical Expenses/Utilization of Health Care –

Adults & Children

Work-related Expenses/Child Support Paid

Child Well-Being

4 Feb 05 - May 05

Annual Income and Retirement Accounts 

Taxes

Work Schedule

Child Care

WAVE TIME PERIOD TOPICAL MODULES 

5 Jun 05 - Sept 05

Adult Well-being

School Enrollment and Financing

Child Support Agreements

Support for Non-household Members

Functional Limitations/Disability - Adults

Functional Limitations/Disability - Children

Employer-Provided Health Benefits

6 Oct 05 - Jan 06

Assets and Liabilities

Real Estate, Dependent Care, and Vehicles

Int Accts, Stocks, Mortg, Val of Bus, Rental, 

Other

Medical Expenses/Utilization of Health Care –

Adults & Children

Work-related Expenses/Child Support Paid

7 Feb 06- May 06

Annual Income and Retirement Accounts

Taxes

Retirement and Pension Plan Coverage

Informal Care-giving

8 Jun 06 - Sept 06

Welfare Reform

Child Care

Child Well-being 

9-12 Oct 06 - Jan 08 None
Table 2-2. 2008 Panel: Rotation Groups, Waves (W), Reference Months, and Interview Months

Rotation Group 1 Rotation Group 2 Rotation Group 3 Rotation Group 4 

Reference 

Month

Interview 

Month

Reference 

Month

Interview 

Month

Reference 

Month

Interview 

Month

Reference 

Month

Interview 

Month

2008May W1 1

June W1 2 W1 1

July W1 3 W1 2 W1 1

Aug. W1 4 W1 3 W1 2 W1 1

Sept. W2 1 Wave 1 Intvw. W1 4 W1 3 W1 2

Oct. W2 2 W2 1 Wave 1 Intvw. W1 4 W1 3

Nov. W2 3 W2 2 W2 1 Wave 1 Intvw. W1 4

Dec. W2 4 W2 3 W2 2 W2 1 Wave 1 Intvw.

2009Jan. W3 1 Wave 2 Intvw. W2 4 W2 3 W2 2

Feb. W3 2 W3 1 Wave 2 Intvw. W2 4 W2 3

Mar. W3 3 W3 2 W3 1 Wave 2 Intvw. W2 4

April W3 4 W3 3 W3 2 W3 1 Wave 2 Intvw.

May W4 1 Wave 3 Intvw. W3 4 W3 3 W3 2

June W4 2 W4 1 Wave 3 Intvw. W3 4 W3 3

July W4 3 W4 2 W4 1 Wave 3 Intvw. W3 4

Aug. W4 4 W4 3 W4 2 W4 1 Wave 3 Intvw.

Sept. W5 1 Wave 4 Intvw. W4 4 W4 3 W4 2

Oct. W5 2 W5 1 Wave 4 Intvw. W4 4 W4 3

Nov. W5 3 W5 2 W5 1 Wave 4 Intvw. W4 4

Dec. W5 4 W5 3 W5 2 W5 1 Wave 4 Intvw.

2009Jan. W6 1 Wave 5 Intvw. W5 4 W5 3 W5 2

Feb. W6 2 W6 1 Wave 5 Intvw. W5 4 W5 3

Mar. W6 3 W6 2 W6 1 Wave 5 Intvw. W5 4

April W6 4 W6 3 W6 2 W6 1 Wave 5 Intvw.

May W7 1 Wave 6 Intvw. W6 4 W6 3 W6 2

June W7 2 W7 1 Wave 6 Intvw. W6 4 W6 3

July W7 3 W7 2 W7 1 Wave 6 Intvw. W6 4

Aug. W7 4 W7 3 W7 2 W7 1 Wave 6 Intvw.

CONTINUES TO BEYOND WAVE 13 FOR 2008 SIPP
Table 2-2. 2008 Panel: Rotation Groups, Waves (W), Reference Months, and Interview Months

Rotation Group 1 Rotation Group 2 Rotation Group 3 Rotation Group 4 

Reference 

Month

Interview 

Month

Reference 

Month

Interview 

Month

Reference 

Month

Interview 

Month

Reference 

Month

Interview 

Month

2008May W1 1

June W1 2 W1 1

July W1 3 W1 2 W1 1

Aug. W1 4 W1 3 W1 2 W1 1

Sept. W2 1 Wave 1 Intvw. W1 4 W1 3 W1 2

Oct. W2 2 W2 1 Wave 1 Intvw. W1 4 W1 3

Nov. W2 3 W2 2 W2 1 Wave 1 Intvw. W1 4

Dec. W2 4 W2 3 W2 2 W2 1 Wave 1 Intvw.

2009Jan. W3 1 Wave 2 Intvw. W2 4 W2 3 W2 2

Feb. W3 2 W3 1 Wave 2 Intvw. W2 4 W2 3

Mar. W3 3 W3 2 W3 1 Wave 2 Intvw. W2 4

April W3 4 W3 3 W3 2 W3 1 Wave 2 Intvw.

May W4 1 Wave 3 Intvw. W3 4 W3 3 W3 2

June W4 2 W4 1 Wave 3 Intvw. W3 4 W3 3

July W4 3 W4 2 W4 1 Wave 3 Intvw. W3 4

Aug. W4 4 W4 3 W4 2 W4 1 Wave 3 Intvw.

Sept. W5 1 Wave 4 Intvw. W4 4 W4 3 W4 2

Oct. W5 2 W5 1 Wave 4 Intvw. W4 4 W4 3

Nov. W5 3 W5 2 W5 1 Wave 4 Intvw. W4 4

Dec. W5 4 W5 3 W5 2 W5 1 Wave 4 Intvw.

2009Jan. W6 1 Wave 5 Intvw. W5 4 W5 3 W5 2

Feb. W6 2 W6 1 Wave 5 Intvw. W5 4 W5 3

Mar. W6 3 W6 2 W6 1 Wave 5 Intvw. W5 4

April W6 4 W6 3 W6 2 W6 1 Wave 5 Intvw.

May W7 1 Wave 6 Intvw. W6 4 W6 3 W6 2

June W7 2 W7 1 Wave 6 Intvw. W6 4 W6 3

July W7 3 W7 2 W7 1 Wave 6 Intvw. W6 4

Aug. W7 4 W7 3 W7 2 W7 1 Wave 6 Intvw.

CONTINUES TO BEYOND WAVE 13 FOR 2008 SIPP
Approach to Content for SIPP-EHC

• Content review and stakeholder involvement.

– Started with most reduced form of ‘essential’ SIPP – public use longitudinal 

research file contents from 1990’s Paper SIPP

– Held repeated stakeholder meetings after proposing that limited content.

– Meetings added in some ‘critical’ content from almost all topical modules. 

• Continued efforts to serve needs where specific ‘critical’ content is 

required for a limited user base.

– Ability to field ‘inter-wave’ reimbursable supplements as stand-alone surveys 

administered to the full or a subset of SIPP respondents.

– Social Security supplement on retirement and pensions needed for future use in 

their program models.

• Modeled data for systematically staggered content was not 

endorsed by SIPP stakeholders.
10

New Survey: Basic versus supplemental products

Basic Topics

Demographics General Income

Labor Force Health Insurance

Assets Education

Program Participation

Child Support

Well-being Disability

Wealth
Re-engineered 

SIPP -

Contents
Re-engineered 

SIPP -

Contents
Interview Time

• 2004 SIPP Panel interview length varied by wave, but 

the mean Core time per adult ranges from 30 min or so 

to about 15 in later waves by use of dependent 

interviewing.

– ‘Same as Last Time’...

• 2004 SIPP Topical Module content length also varied by 

wave from about 5 to about 20 min on average per adult.

• Total time stayed between 30 min and 1 hr per adult, 

depending on household characteristics.
Interview Time

• 2010 SIPP-EHC Initial test indicated that interviews were about 45 

min to 1 hr per adult. 

• Efficiencies in questionnaire flow for 2011 SIPP-EHC expected to 

reduce average adult interview time by 10-15 minutes. 

• 2012 SIPP-EHC will include (limited) dependent data, and is 

expected to further reduce burden.

• Research results further showed strong evidence of a learning curve 

for interviewers associated with reduced interview length later in 

interview period. 
Learning Curve by Level of Experience

2010 SIPP-EHC Field Test

15

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

1 Month 2 Months 3 Months

Duration from Training to Interview

New Hires

1+ Years Exp.

Note: Interview period began in January 2010 and ended in March 2010
Additional Instrument Design Efforts to 

Reduce Measurement Error

• Dependent Interviewing – potential to reduce burden, but also 

reduce measurement error if erroneous transitions are being 

reported in longitudinal data due to changing respondents or recall 

difficulty.

• Within household streamlining of reporting

– Populating data across household members

– Streamlining ‘who reports’ 

– Topic versus person level reporting

• Calendar as a tool to both improve recall and increase concurrence.
Assessing Users’ Needs

URL: http://www.census.gov/sipp