Living Outside Germany : A Feasibility Study Concerning the Implementation of Interviews Abroad within the Framework of the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) (Leben ausserhalb Deutschlands - Eine Machbarkeitsstudie zur Realisierung von Auslandsbefragungen auf Basis des Sozio-oekonomischen Panels (SOEP))

With the pilot study Living outside Germany, the longitudinal German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) ventures into completely uncharted methodological territory by attempting to locate the addresses of former participants in the German household panel study SOEP who have since immigrated abroad, and to survey these individuals with the help of a specially developed written questionnaire on the reasons for their international move. In the years 2002 to 2005, 228 immigrants were identified among the SOEP participants. After successfully locating their addresses, it was possible to send the questionnaire to 52 of these immigrants. On this basis 23 interviews were ultimately carried out. Limited selectivity problems were identified regarding gender, partnership status, subjective evaluation of health status, life satisfaction, and region of residence prior to immigration (former West/former East Germany). However, significant age and earning-specific selectivity effects were also noted