Rural household data collection in developing countries : designing instruments and methods for collecting off-farm income data

Difficult conceptual problems include defining income, accounting for investments, valuation of nonmarket goods and in-kind transfers, and assuring confidentiality. A useful preliminary step in gathering off-farm and nonfarm income data is to interview key informants and observe actual enterprises using survey interviews or records kept by respondents. Information that is often neglected but necessary includes cost of capital, differences in technologies, commuting and other transaction costs, and conversions for local units of measure. (Author abstract)