DATA CLEANING ON INCOME AND ASSET COMPONENTS
When economic variables are checked, we strongly recommend of taking the distribution of
each income and asset component (excluding DK and RF) and then checking the consistency
and reliability of all amounts above the 95% percentile and below the 5% percentile of this
distribution.
DATA CLEANING: FLOWCHART FOR CASES WHERE A 0 AMOUNT IS GIVEN
GENERAL REMARK:
This document takes into account the pension payments. However, the problem described below
can be present with the same features in any other income or asset component (e.g. bank account).
If so, please use the same described procedure.
THE PROBLEM:
Respondent indicates to have a pension (e.g. first old age pension) but the reported amount is 0.
The ownership of the pension is given by EP071_question (public pension) and/or EP324_ question
(occupational pension). The amount of all of these pensions are given by EP078_ question. When
respondent entries in the unfolding bracket sequence (UBs), the final interval (or DK/RF) is
reported in the EP215_ variable.
Please generate:
ep071_xx_original = ep071_xx
ep071_xx_flag = 0
ep324_xx_original = ep324_xx
ep324_xx_flag = 0
ep078_xx_original = ep078_xx
ep078_xx_flag = 0
ep215_xx_original = ep215_xx
ep215_xx_flag = 0
Flags for “ownership”
Please define the label for ep071_xx_flag and ep324_xx_flag variables:
0 “No change”
1 “Zero amount changed: NO ownership”
Flags for “amounts”
Please define the label for ep078_xx_flag variable:
0 “No change”
1 “No change: 0 is a true value”
2 “Zero changed: NO ownership”
3 “Zero not changed: total of all pensions in another pension category”
4 “Zero changed: amount belongs to the first bracket interval”
5 “Zero changed: UB info present”
6 “Zero changed to DK”
Flags for “Unfolding Brackets”
Please define the label for ep215_xx_flag variable:
0 “No change”
1 “Zero amount changed: it belongs to the first bracket interval”
2 “Zero amount changed to DK in UBs”
Please note that:
- for the amount in ep078_1, ep078_2, …, ep078_9 question, the bracket value of the first
threshold is given by ep9781v1, ep9782v1, …, ep9789v1;
- for the amount in ep078_10, ep078_11, …, ep078_15 question, the bracket value of the first
threshold is given by ep978av1, ep978bv1, …, ep978fv1;
- for the amount in ep078_16 question, the bracket value of the first threshold is given by
ep97810v.
Henceforth, ep978xx_v means the value of the first threshold according to the scheme above.
How to proceed:
1) The ownership is assumed as correct. Only if you have other information (e.g. a remark) which
clearly indicates that respondent has not that pension, change ep071_xx (or ep324_xx) to
missing, ep078_xx to missing, ep071_xx_flag (or ep324_xx_flag) to 1 and ep078_xx_flag to 2.
If unsure: keep as it is !
If previous point does not apply:
2) The respondent has more than 1 pension. If you have other information (e.g. a remark) which
clearly indicates that respondent gives in another pension the total amount of all received
pensions, change only ep078_xx_flag to 3.
If previous points do not apply:
3) If you have other information (e.g. a remark) which clearly indicates that respondent has an
amount so small that is close to “zero”, change ep078_xx to DK (9.00e+20), ep215_xx to
ep978xx_v minus 1, ep078_xx_flag to 4 and ep215_xx_flag to 1.
If previous points do not apply:
4) Check whether any unfolding bracket information is nevertheless present (even if it should not
be). If so, change ep078_xx to DK (9.00e+20) and ep078_xx_flag to 5.
If none of the previous points apply and you are clearly sure that the amount has to be positive:
5) Change ep078_xx to DK (9.00e+20), ep215_xx to DK (9.00e+20), ep078_xx_flag to 6 and
ep215_xx_flag to 2.
If you are clearly sure that the amount can be zero:
6) Change ep078_xx_flag to 1.
If you have any doubt regarding EP or HH section, please contact:
Lisa Callegaro: lcallegaro@unive.it
Omar Paccagnella: omar.paccagnella@unipd.it
If you have any doubt regarding AS section, please contact:
Dimitris Christelis: cdimitri@unisa.it