RAND Roybal Center for Financial Decision Making

American Life Panel

The ALP is an Internet panel of respondents 18 and over. Respondents in the panel either use their own computer to log on to the Internet or a Web TV, which allows them to access the Internet, using their television and a telephone line. The technology allows respondents who did not have previous Internet access to participate in the panel and furthermore use the Web TVs for browsing the Internet or use email.

About twice a month, respondents receive an email with a request to visit the ALP URL and fill out questionnaires on the Internet. Typically an interview will not take more than 30 minutes. Respondents are paid an incentive of about $20 per thirty minutes of interviewing (and proportionately less if an interview is shorter). Most respondents respond within one week and the majority within three weeks. To further increase response rates reminders are being sent after this period. A researcher can receive data in real time during the field period so that one can start preliminary analyses before the field period is finished.

For more information about sample recruitment, panel use or survey hosting please fill out the MMIC/ALP Request form and we will contact you.

For a quick demo on how surveys look in the ALP, please visit mmic.rand.org/research/rand/demo.

Staff

Arie Kapteyn

Arie Kapteyn is director of RAND Labor and Population and of the RAND American Life Panel. Before coming to RAND, he was a research professor at Tilburg University in The Netherlands. He also was the founder and director of CentERdata, which runs the CentERpanel. The American Life Panel is patterned after the CentERpanel. For research inquiries, he can be reached at kapteyn@rand.org.

Bas Weerman

Bas Weerman is the lead developer of the RAND American Life Panel and of MMIC™, the software on which the panel runs. Before coming to RAND, he was affiliated with CentERdata, where he built the complete technical infrastructures of the CentERpanel. Bas is also heading the programming of a Megadata site harmonizing international panel data, and is involved as a lead developer or advisor on international household surveys throughout Europe, Asia, Latin American and the United States. For programming inquiries, he can be reached at weerman@rand.org.

Tania Gutsche

Tania Gutsche is the project and panel manager for the RAND American Life Panel, and your key contact for budget estimates. She handles the day-day operations and maintenance of the panel and the needs of the respondents. Her responsibilities include coordinating correspondence, equipment set up and delivery, and ongoing incentives for panel members. Tania manages the helpdesk via email and a toll free number. If you would like additional details about the panel or if you would like to explore using the panel in your research, she can be reached at (310) 393-0411 ext. 6559, or tania@rand.org.