The Caen Panel survey
The Caen Panel survey, disseminated by the Centre de données socio-politiques, studies the interdependencies between life courses and the dynamics of social networks during transitions to adulthood. Developed by a group of researchers coordinated by Claire Bidart, it is based on an initial panel of 87 young people from the Caen region, interviewed on six occasions between 1995 and 2015. It articulates in an innovative way a quantitative approach (via questionnaires, calendars and name generators) and a qualitative approach (via biographical interviews). The information gathered on the panelists is rich (several hours of questioning in each wave).
The survey is a pioneer in France in terms of methodology and the way in which the research object is captured. It is based on a long longitudinal survey, which is still rare. It also uses a rich qualitative approach, which is also rare, since we have an in-depth account of relationships linked to the biographical account. It studies much more extensive networks than in other surveys (37 Alters on average, as opposed to the usual 5 or 10 ALTERs). The network analysis is multidimensional and captures together domains that are usually treated separately - entry into adulthood, professional, residential, emotional and family careers, etc. It integrates a significant number of members of the network into a single network. It includes a significant number of members of the working classes, as surveys of this type often underestimate this population category.
The data collected is based on a systematic use of the information gathered in the questionnaires, with the interviews serving to verify, clarify or recontextualise this information. The information was standardised, recoded and integrated into a database to support various statistical treatments (network analyses, sequence analyses, etc.).
The data made available includes more than 300 interview transcripts as well as 4 quantitative files, covering both the panelists themselves and the members of their entourage (i.e. more than 11,700 alter). They make it possible to examine the dynamics of the career paths, the biographical processes, the bifurcations, the construction and evolution of the relationship to work, married life, family, modes of sociability, as well as the structuring and transformations of their personal network.
The survey has given rise to numerous publications (most often collective), and, even before they were submitted, to numerous secondary analyses. It has great potential for re-use on the initial research themes, some of which were under-exploited due to lack of time and the extreme richness of the data (e.g. social circles), but also on other approaches such as the geographical analysis of the networks.
The data was anonymised by the CDSP, in conjunction with Claire Bidart, in order to reduce the risk of identification of individuals while making it possible to reuse the data.