Reverse Record Check

In survey research, a reverse record check is a method that can be used to verify the accuracy of data that a respondent provides against an information source that contains the "true" answer. Use of this method is not always feasible, even with ample funding, because external sources of information against which a survey response can be validated often do not exist.

The effect of human memory on the response to the survey questions has been the concern of survey methodology for many years. A survey respondent [Page 764]has to be in the position of providing accurate answers to survey questions involving memory. Naturally, this must depend on the nature of questions, but a number of empirical studies have demonstrated that fallibility of memory can be ...