Cross‐National Research: Realised and Potential Contributions

• Published date: 01 December 2021
• Author: Dean R. Lillard
• Date: 01 December 2021
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8462.12447

The Australian Economic Review, vol. 54, no. 4, pp. 542–553 DOI: 10.1111/1467-8462.12447

Cross‐National Research: Realised and Potential Contributions

Dean R. Lillard*

Abstract

The HILDA Survey is one of a small but

growing number of household‐based, country‐

specific longitudinal studies that share similar

designs and data on individual and household

social and economic wellbeing. All track

outcomes over time as individuals dynami-

cally form and dissolve personal and profes-

sional relationships. The similarities of the

data invite researchers to study, compare and

contrast social and economic outcomes of

Australians with outcomes of residents of

other countries. This review summarises

published comparative research that uses

HILDA data, notes how HILDA contributes,

and highlights how and on what topics

scholars might use HILDA data to generate

additional insights.

1. Introduction

Cross‐national research provides insights

about similarities and differences in outcomes

of interest beyond those yielded by data from

a single country. Most obviously, cross‐

national research provides evidence about a

particular measure of social or economic

wellbeing relative to the same outcome in

other countries. Beyond description, cross‐

national research lets one explore whether

cross‐country similarities or differences in

outcomes vary systematically with cross‐

country similarities or differences in measures

of country‐specific demographics, norms,

culture, labour markets or legal settings.

Although these types of studies seldom

identify a causal relationship, they remain

important because they produce one or more

stylised facts that point researchers towards

factors that might yield causal evidence. For

these descriptive studies, researchers can

compare data from cross‐sectional or long-

itudinal surveys. The HILDA Survey provides

both types of data. Importantly, the HILDA

Survey and panel surveys in other countries

provide the longitudinal data researchers

need to identify whether cross‐country

differences in associations flow from a causal

relationship.

Cross‐national research designs with inter-

nationally comparable panel data offer one of

the best opportunities to estimate the causal

effects of policies. With longitudinal data,

researchers can observe respondents' choices

and outcomes before and after policies

change. Since one compares the outcomes of

* The Ohio State University, Columbus,OH; DIW-Berlin;

& National Burea u of Economic Resea rch

email <lillard.13@osu.edu>.

© 2021 The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic & Social Research,

Faculty of Business and Economics

Published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd