Data collection

The project targeted the entire resident population of Switzerland aged 18 and above. In order to obtain representative data, the Swiss citizens invited to participate were selected in a strict random procedure distributed across the seven major regions of Switzerland, men and women, and three age groups (18–34 years, 35–64 years, 65+ years). The distribution ensured that the above-mentioned groups were approximately as well represented in the sample as in the Swiss resident population. A total of 13,860 people were invited to the first of the five survey waves; by the end of the fifth wave, over 2,350 participants remained in the sample.

As the survey is of national importance, the sample could be drawn from the sampling frame for surveys of persons and households (SRPH) of the Federal Statistical Office. The Verordnung über die Durchführung von statistischen Erhebungen des Bundes (vom 30. Juni 1993, Art. 13c, Abs.2, Bst. d.) regulates how the information from this register may be used.

Data collection was conducted by the Swiss Center of Expertise in the Social Sciences (FORS; https://forscenter.ch/) a total of five times every six months. The data are currently being checked and formatted, and will then be made available in the Swiss database SWISSUbase (https://www.swissubase.ch/en/). The anonymized data are accessible to all interested parties.