8. Documentation

There are several types of documentation available for use with the 2022 HRS

Core (Early, Version 1.0) data release. These include a codebook and the 2022

box-and-arrow questionnaire. In addition, 2022 variables have been added to the

8A. Codebook

The HRS 2022 Codebook is provided as a series of 38 ASCII text files, as well as

a file containing all sections. There is a codebook file corresponding to each

data file. Each variable has its own codebook entry. The format of the codebook

is, for the most part, consistent with all previous releases.

8A1. Variable Names

Variable names begin with a letter designating the wave of data collection (S

for 2022), followed by the section letter, and numbers after the section letter.

For example, SC001 where S=2022, C=section C (physical health), and 001 is the

variable number. Variables from the preload section of the instrument will have

either QX or QZ as prefix letters. The X indicates a variable that is updated

by data collected in later sections of the questionnaire, whereas the Z

indicates preloaded data that were not changed by subsequent answers to

questions. For example:

SX007_R

SZ077_R

RESP FAM/FIN TYPE – UPDATED

PREV WAVE R FIN/FAM TYPE

SX007_R indicates that the preloaded Financial or Family respondent was changed,

or updated, later in the instrument from what had been preloaded (or assigned)

prior to the start of the 2022 interview.

8A1a. Multiple-response and Looped Variables

There are two types of variables with multiple mention indicators. First are

simple multiple mentions and second are multiple mentions within loops.

Simple multiple mention variables take the form: (wave prefix) + (section

letter) + (variable number) + (mention number). For example, SN219M1 through

SN219M5 are 2022 variables from section N with one through 5 mentions.

Variable names for multiple mentions to questions within a loop take the form:

(wave prefix) + (section letter) + (variable number) + (underscore) + (loop

iteration) + (letter designating mention number). For example, SN049_1M1, is a

2022 variable from section N, variable number 049 in the first iteration of the

loop, and the first mention.

Simple loop variables (not a multiple mention) have an underscore ( _ )in their

name and a suffix that designates the loop, e.g., SN025_1.

For variables that have a “W” right after the section designator, the variable

names are slightly different. Variable names for multiple mentions to questions

within a W-loop take the form: (wave prefix) + (section letter) + (“W”) +

(variable number) + (letter designating loop iteration) + (mention number). For

example, SKW097A1, is a 2022 variable from section K, variable number 097 in the

first iteration of the loop, and the first mention. Other non-multiple mention

variables within this type of loop are named with the letter designating the

loop iteration. For example, SKW002A, is variable number 002 in the first

iteration of the loop.

February 2024, Version 1.0