Abstract

Data collection in 2006 employed a large number of retention strategies directed toward both respondents and interviewers. The major intervention was the Soft-Refusal sample, which targeted more than 1,500 non-respondents from prior years and resulted in 338 owners and renters completing surveys and returning to the panel. The Soft-Refusal survey boosted the total completes for 2006 to 2,380 owners and 1,046 renters. Analyses of attrition as of 2006 indicates that the CAP panel has experienced higher attrition among respondents whose baseline status consisted of being lower educated, younger, male, Hispanic, and unmarried. Future data collection efforts will target these groups and consolidate all data collection activities at RTI.