Using the Global Positioning System in Household Surveys for Better Economics and Better Policy
Distance and location are important determinants of many choices that economists study. While these variables can sometimes be obtained from secondary data, economists often rely on information that is self-reported by respondents in surveys. These...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2012
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2007/04/7524337/using-global-positioning-system-household-surveys-better-economics-better-policy http://hdl.handle.net/10986/7003 |
| Summary: | Distance and location are important
determinants of many choices that economists study. While
these variables can sometimes be obtained from secondary
data, economists often rely on information that is
self-reported by respondents in surveys. These self-reports
are used especially for the distance from households or
community centers to various features such as roads,
markets, schools, clinics, and other public services. There
is growing evidence that self-reported distance is measured
with error and that these errors are correlated with
outcomes of interest. In contrast to self-reports, the
Global Positioning System (GPS) can determine almost exact
location (typically within 15 meters). The falling cost of
GPS receivers (typically below US$100) makes it increasingly
feasible for field surveys to use GPS as a better method of
measuring location and distance. In this paper the authors
review four ways that GPS can lead to better economics and
better policy: (1) through constructing instrumental
variables that can be used to understand the causal impact
of policies, (2) by helping to understand policy
externalities and spillovers, (3) through better
understanding of access to services, and (4) by improving
the collection of household survey data. They also discuss
several pitfalls and unresolved problems with using GPS in
household surveys. |
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