ABSTRACT
This book is intended as a primer for those interested in the purpose, design, conduct and analysis of household panel studies. Of course, in an introductory text none of these issues can be addressed in the detail necessary to allow readers to learn all the arts and sciences involved in panel studies. Rather, our intention is to make the techniques of panel studies accessible so that greater profit can be obtained from more specialist texts and especially those that deal with panel analysis. The many references in each chapter offer further avenues to explore. Equally, there will be readers, whether students, academics, policymakers or research users and commissioners, who although not wishing to undertake panel research nevertheless do need to know what household panel studies are and what they can achieve.
