Families in comparison: An individual-level comparison of life-course and family reconstructions between population and vital event registers

TY - JOUR

T1 - Families in comparison: An individual-level comparison of life-course and family reconstructions between population and vital event registers

AU - van den Berg, Niels

AU - van Dijk, Ingrid

AU - Mourits, Rick

AU - Slagboom, P.E.

AU - Janssens, Angélique

AU - Mandemakers, Kees

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - 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

AB - 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

KW - family reconstitutionS

KW - life course

KW - historical demography

KW - demographic methods

KW - family history

KW - microdata

KW - population registers

KW - civil registers

KW - family reconstruction

U2 - DOI: 10.1080/00324728.2020.

DO - DOI: 10.1080/00324728.2020.

M3 - Article

JO - Population Studies: a journal of demography

JF - Population Studies: a journal of demography

SN - 0032-4728

ER -