LISS panel
About the LISS panel
The LISS panel is a probability-based online research panel that provides a representative sample of the Dutch population. The panel is managed by Centerdata and is based on a random sample of households drawn from the population register of Statistics Netherlands (CBS).
Researchers, academics and policymakers use the LISS panel to conduct reliable and representative research in the Netherlands. Self-registration is not possible. This is how the composition and representativeness of this scientific research panel is maintained.
The LISS panel consists of approximately 7,500 panel members across 5,000 households. Panel members complete several questionnaires each month, with an average completion time of 30 minutes per month. Participants receive financial compensation for their participation.
Households that would otherwise be unable to participate are provided with a computer and internet access. This ensures that also hard-to-reach groups are included, unlike in many other online research panels.
Who can use the panel?
Academics, researchers, and policymakers from both the Netherlands and abroad can conduct their research using the LISS panel. The surveys and experiments in the panel span various disciplines, such as the social sciences, behavioral economics, and the (bio)medical sciences.
The collected data are first delivered to the commissioning party and the researchers involved in the study. After six months, the data are published in the LISS Data Archive. Other researchers can then access and use the data, provided that the use is non-commercial and socially relevant.
All data collected within the LISS panel can be linked to previously collected data. This enables analysis across a wide range of studies, including access to extensive longitudinal panel data from the LISS Core Study.
All the collected data can be easily linked to other data collected by the LISS panel throughout the years. This concerns a wide range of studies as well as the longitudinal data from the LISS Core Study.
Longitudinal core surveys: the LISS Core Study
Since 2007, Centerdata has conducted eight annual longitudinal core questionnaires within the LISS panel. Together, these form the LISS Core Study. These repeated measurements allow researchers to study changes in individuals’ lives over time, as well as the effects of life events, societal developments and policy measures. The eight core surveys of the LISS Core Study are:
- Health
- Norms and values
- Faith and ethnicity
- Leisure activities
- Family and household
- Work and education
- Personality
- Economic situation: belongings, income and housing
Conducting research using the LISS panel
Researchers and policymakers can use the LISS panel through a paid research project. Depending on the research design, it is possible to use the full panel, a random sample, or a specific target group.
We place strong emphasis on scientific quality and maintaining a long-term relationship with our respondents. Therefore, questionnaires and experiments must meet several requirements:
- Questions must be understandable for all respondents (B1 language level)
- Questions must not be offensive or inappropriate for any group
There is no strict limit on questionnaire length, but we recommend keeping surveys concise to ensure high data quality.
Our approach
Requests for using the LISS panel can be submitted by email to Miquelle Marchand (miquelle.marchand@centerdata.nl), team lead of the LISS panel. Please include the following information in your email:
- Desired sample size
- Sample composition
- Desired timing of fieldwork
- Single measurement or repeated measurements
- Content of the questions (or a draft questionnaire)
After receiving your request, a price quotation and budget specification will be provided. Once the budget is approved, the fieldwork is prepared in close collaboration with the researchers.
The collected data are typically delivered within one month after completion of fieldwork. For more complex datasets, a different timeline may be agreed upon. To ensure broad access to scientific data, datasets from the LISS panel are generally made available via the LISS Data Archive after twelve months (subject to researcher approval).
With many years of experience in online survey design and scientific research, Centerdata offers expert support across multiple disciplines. We are happy to advise you on the design and implementation of your study.