DOI: 10.5279/dk-sa-dda-560
title: Danish Omnibus Survey, May 1981
title: Danish Omnibus Survey, May 1981

description: After a single 'fore-runner' in November 1972 the Danish National Institute of Social Research and Danmarks Statistik have carried out the so-called omnibus surveys regularly since January 1974. The purpose of these surveys is to collect data on a variety of issues in the same interview. This means that the background information may be used in several surveys, thus reducing the costs of the data collection. The omnibus surveys are carried out each year at regular intervals. Until October 1983 the two institutes carried out three omnibus surveys each year; in 1984 and 1985 four omnibus surveys were carried out; and from 1986 and onwards three surveys have been carried out each year. # The omnibus project was established as the Danish National Institute of Social Research, Danmarks Statistik, a number of other government institutions and researchers often experienced a need for examining major or minor problems without initiating independent surveys. # Thus, the omnibus surveys have contributed to an improvement of the possibilities of solving the following types of tasks: # #1. Minor surveys which, apart from the traditional background # variables (cf. below), only include so small a number of # variables that an independent data collection is not # economically justifiable. #2. Explorative surveys (pilot surveys) the purposes of which are # to assess the distribution of the main variables in a planned # survey, to assess the size of certain person categories, or # to assess the frequency of certain attitudes which are # important for the completion of a planned survey. #3. The establishment of a backgound material, e.g. the # distribution or frequency in the population of factors which # form part of a more intensive survey comprising a special # population group. #4. The establishment of a basis for comparison or a control group # for existing data materials which only concern a special part # of the population. #5. Follow-ups of qualitative surveys. By using central questions # from intensive surveys it is possible to examine to what an # extent conditions and correlations mapped out in qualitative # surveys are present in the population as a whole. #6. Additional data collection, e.g. in cases where the analysis # of a previously collected data material reveals problems which # have not been taken into account or which have, by accident, # not been thoroughly examined during the data collection of # the main survey. #7. Replication of previous surveys. As regards a number of # previous surveys it would be desirable to measure some of the # main variables of the survey at regular intervals. # #Already before the establishment of the omnibus survey project the Danish National Institute of Social Research and Danmarks Statistik had begun to co-operate. In 1970 the two institutes made an agreement to the effect that the interview section of the Danish National Institute of Social Research was to carry out iinterviews for Danmarks Statistik, and thus be a joint service section of the two institutes. # A permanent part of the questionnaire in an omnibus survey is the so-called background questions, i.e. a number of questions which map out the respondent's personal and social situation. These background variables are: # # 1. Sex. # 2. Year of birth. # 3. Marital status, i.e. whether the respondent is separated, # divorced, is a widow/widower, single or married/cohabiting. # 4. The respondent's family conditions. # In the omnibus surveys a family is defined as persons who live # in the same flat or house and who are related to one another # (this includes cohabiting couples), and there must not be more # than one married (or cohabiting) couple in the family. It # should be noted that single respondents living in collective # households, e.g. long-stay geriatric patients and students # living in halls of residence, are included in the survey as # families comprising one person. # 5. Designation of occupation is given for the respondent as well # as for the head of household. # 6. As regards the respondent there is a more detailed description # of her/his occupation, e.g. farm-owner and not just farmer. # In addition, information is obtained on which kind of firm # she/he works in and on the products of the firm. # 7. The respondent's usual number of hours of gainful employment # per week. # 8. The respondent's sidelines, if any, and the number of hours # per week spent on these sidelines. # 9. The respondent's school education. #10. The respondent's total income in the previous calendar year, # gross income as well as net income. #11. The total family income in the previous calendar year, gross # income as well as net income. Furthermore, information on # how many family members have contributed to the total family # income. #12. Type of dwelling, i.e. whether the respondent lives in a # flat in a high-rise block, flat in a block of flats; detached # house, cluster house, atrium house, or terraced house; farm # house or other type of dwelling. #13. The number of rooms in the respondent's dwelling, not # including kitchen, bathroom or hall. #14. The respondent's housing conditions, i.e. whether she/he # lives in a hall of residence, in an apprentice home, in a # nursing home or an old people's home, in a commune, with # her/his parents, does not pay any rent, is tenant/lodger or # owner. #15. The number of persons usually living in the flat/house. #16. The municipality in which the respondent lives, and whether it # is in a rural district or in the urban part of the # municipality. #17. Degree of urbanization. # #In addition to the background questions the questionnaire includes questions from external users - questions which form part of the Danish National Institute of Social Research's or Danmarks Statistik's part of the omnibus in question. These questions may deal with a variety of subjects. In principle all types of questions may be included in an omnibus, even if the questions deal with many different subjects, as the editors link the various series of questions. In this way abrupt and strange breaks are avoided, breaks which might distrub the interviewing. Technically it is also possible to ask a number of questions only to specific sub-groups of the sample, e.g. to women in a certain age group. # The data material filed at the DDA comprises the background questions asked jointly by the Danish National Institute and Danmarks Statistik as well as the questions asked by the Danish National Institute of Social Research. # The themes of this omnibus are: Children's spare time activities; attitudes to various kinds of child-minding; and attitudes to married women having gainful employment
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