Abstract
It remains unknown how different types of sources affect the reconstruction of life courses and families in large-scale databases increasingly common in demographic research. Here, we compare family and life-course reconstructions for 495 individuals simultaneously present in two well-known Dutch data sets: LINKS, based on the Zeeland province's full-population vital event registration data (passive registration), and the Historical Sample of the Netherlands (HSN), based on a national sample of birth certificates, with follow-up of individuals in population registers (active registration). We compare indicators of fertility, marriage, mortality, and occupational status, and conclude that reconstructions in the HSN and LINKS reflect each other well: LINKS provides more complete information on siblings and parents, whereas the HSN provides more complete life-course information. We conclude that life-course and family reconstructions based on linked passive registration of individuals constitute a reliable alternative to reconstructions based on active registration, if case selection is carefully considered.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 91-110 |
Number of pages | 20 |
Journal | Population Studies-A Journal of Demography |
Volume | 75 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2 Jan 2021 |
Keywords
- adult mortality
- bias
- civil registers
- databases
- demographic methods
- family history
- family reconstitutions
- family reconstruction
- historical demography
- historical population
- impact
- life course
- marriage
- microdata
- migrants
- migration
- natives
- population registers
- reconstitution
- record linkage
- MARRIAGE
- RECORD LINKAGE
- HISTORICAL POPULATION
- NATIVES
- MIGRANTS
- RECONSTITUTION
- MIGRATION
- BIAS
- ADULT MORTALITY
- IMPACT