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Data storage and data cleaning

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Data storage

The data is stored on a special, secure website, accessible to the data-manager only. The data is stored as delimited text. The data-manager taps the data usually once a week, and converts the delimited text into a SPSS statistical file. Until November 2005, only fully completed questionnaires were stored, i.e. from the respondents that had pressed the button SEND at the end of the questionnaire. From November onwards, incomplete questionnaires are also stored.

The data-management company is also responsible for the content of the QMS. Whatever failures are detected in the dataset, they can be repaired in the QMS instantly. Vice versa, any changes in the QMS are communicated instantly with the person responsible for the dataset.

Anonymity of the respondents

As for the anonymity of the respondents, the WageIndicator web survey does not ask for names or addresses of individual participants, or any other direct identifier. Respondent-side IP numbers are not registered.

The WageIndicator web survey asks for email addresses to notify the prizewinner and to invite respondents to complete the survey again one year later, if they have indicated that they want to do so. Privacy of participants is safeguarded, because the email addresses are separated from the remaining data immediately and they are stored on a separate computer. The email addresses will never be made available to neither any national WageIndicator team nor to any Third Party. This is promised the participants when they complete the question in which their email address is asked. The dataset does not include email addresses. Panel members are identified by their unique identifier number.