If you want to confirm a client’s date of birth, try the Birth Database. If you input your clients full first and last name, a matching record will confirm a date of birth. It will also show a town of residence, but these are usually old records.
Archive for the 'Resources' Category
Tracking Clients: Quick Tip #4
Published April 14, 2009 Follow-up Strategies , Resources Leave a CommentTags: date of birth, follow-up, longitudinal research, public records, research attrition, retention, strategies, tracking
Merlin Update
Published January 21, 2009 Follow-up Strategies , Resources , Skip tracing Leave a CommentTags: attrition, follow-up, internet research, longitudinal research, public records, research, retention, strategies, tracking
In earlier posts (here and here) I recommended Merlin for searching public records because you could spend the money whenever you needed. However, their policies have changed. For accounts that have low activity, there is now a $20 monthly fee. I wanted to make clear that this is now the case.
I will be doing some research on other lower cost options. Stay tuned!
The tracking manual that started it all
Published December 9, 2008 Resources Leave a CommentTags: attrition, manual, NIDA, research, retention, tracking, UCLA
Several years ago I had the opportunity to present at NIDA’a “Recruitment, Retention and Return for Follow-up” conference with Birgit Danila (UCLA), who helped write “Staying in Touch,” the tracking manual that started at all. Her knowledge and experience were a great stepping stone for me. I’d actually seen the manual before I met Birgit. It gives numerous strategies for tracking prevention research participants. Check it out and use it.
With No Attrition, I aim to add to this great resource by discussing the recommended attitudes and procedures behind the strategies discussed in the manual, along with new strategies of my own. I firmly believe that how you perform a strategy will determine your follow-up success as much as the strategy itself. If you don’t believe me, keep a look out for my next post.
As always, hit me with some comments.
