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

Berg, N. van den; Dijk, I.K. van; Mourits, R.J.; Slagboom, P.E.; Janssens, A.A.P.O.; Mandemakers, K. (2020)

Article / Letter to editor

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.

• family reconstitutions
• life course
• historical demography
• demographic methods
• family history
• microdata
• population registers
• civil registers
• databases
• family reconstruction

• All authors: Berg, N. van den; Dijk, I.K. van; Mourits, R.J.; Slagboom, P.E.; Janssens, A.A.P.O.; Mandemakers, K.
• Date: 2020-02-11
• Journal: Population Studies
• Volume: 75
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 91 - 110
• DOI: doi:10.1080/00324728.2020.1718186
• Link: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00324728.2020.1718186