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Memory recall errors in retrospective surveys: A reverse record check study

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Abstract

This paper reports on a study to compare self-reports during an interview with staff who attended a University health centre in Turkey, with the records of visits to the same health centre over the previous 12 months. Design of the study reflects the effects of importance of the event, duration since the event, frequency of the occurrence of the event, measurement scale of the event, and bounded and unbounded recalling. In order to assess the extent of recall error, responses to retrospective questions on health centre visits are compared with administrative records. Statistical models are proposed for short and long term human memory recall error effects on responses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Statistics, Middle East Technical University, 06531, Ankara, Turkey

    H. Öztaş Ayhan

  2. Computing Centre, State Institute of Statistics, Ankara, Turkey

    Semih Işiksal

Authors
  1. H. Öztaş Ayhan
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  2. Semih Işiksal
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Correspondence to H. Öztaş Ayhan.

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Öztaş Ayhan, H., Işiksal, S. Memory recall errors in retrospective surveys: A reverse record check study. Qual Quant 38, 475–493 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-005-2643-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-005-2643-7

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