Guides, Examples and Vocabularies

Background Information and Background Variables

You can choose the best options for your research from the examples below, or formulate your own appropriate background information (qualitative data) or background variables (quantitative data). It is not always necessary to include all the background information listed here, and other background information that has been customised for each specific study is often needed. Categorising background information is one way to follow the GDPR principles of data minimisation.

Gender Anchor link icon

1. Respondent's gender

  1. Female
  2. Male
  3. Other

2. Respondent's gender

  1. Female
  2. Male
  3. Other or unspecified

3. Respondent's gender

  1. Girl
  2. Boy
  3. Other

Age Anchor link icon

There are many ways to ask about the respondent’s age. Response alternatives can be modified to fit the needs of a specific study. Ranges of age groups can be almost anything. In addition to the examples below, categorisation based on year of birth is also an option.

1. Respondent’s age (in years, open-ended variable or question)

2. Respondent’s age group

  1. 15–19 years
  2. 20–24 years
  3. 25–29 years
  4. 30–34 years
  5. 35–39 years
  6. 40–44 years
  7. 45–49 years
  8. 50–54 years
  9. 55–59 years
  10. 60–64 years
  11. 65 years or over

3. Respondent’s age group

  1. 15–29 yrs.
  2. 30–49 yrs.
  3. 50–79 yrs.
  4. 80 yrs. or over

4. Respondent’s age group

  1. 15–24 years
  2. 25–34 years
  3. 35–49 years
  4. 50–64 years
  5. 65–74 years
  6. 75 years or over

5. Respondent’s age group (young people and young adults)

  1. Under 20 years
  2. 20–22 years
  3. 23–25 years
  4. 26–28 years
  5. 29 years or over

6. Respondent’s age group (young people and young adults)

  1. 15–17 years
  2. 18–20 years
  3. 21–23 years
  4. 24–26 years
  5. 27–29 years
  6. 30 years or over

7. Respondent’s age group (children, young people and young adults)

  1. 7–9 years
  2. 10–14 years
  3. 15–19 years
  4. 20–25 years
  5. 26–30 years

8. Respondent’s age group (elderly)

  1. 75–79 years
  2. 80–84 years
  3. 85–89 years
  4. 90 years or over

Location of residence, country of birth Anchor link icon

1. Do you live in: (mutually exclusive response options)

  1. Big city centre
  2. Big city suburb
  3. Other type of town
  4. Population centre in a rural area
  5. Sparsely populated rural area

2. Do you live in: (mutually exclusive response options)

  1. Big city
  2. Other type of town
  3. Countryside

3. Municipality type (mutually exclusive response options)

  1. Rural municipality
  2. Urban municipality

4. Respondent’s area of residence (mutually exclusive response options)

  1. Capital area (Helsinki, Vantaa, Espoo)
  2. Other city/town
  3. Rural area

5. Respondent’s major region of residence (mutually exclusive response options, NUTS2)

  1. Eastern Finland (South Savo, North Savo, North Karelia, Kainuu)
  2. Southern Finland (Uusimaa, Itä-Uusimaa, Varsinais-Suomi, Kanta-Häme, Päijät-Häme, Kymenlaakso, South Karelia)
  3. Western Finland (Satakunta, Pirkanmaa, Central Finland, South Ostrobothnia, Ostrobothnia)
  4. Northern Finland (Central Ostrobothnia, North Ostrobothnia, Lapland)
  5. Åland Islands (Ahvenanmaa)

6. Respondent’s region of residence (mutually exclusive response options, NUTS3)

  1. Uusimaa
  2. Varsinais-Suomi
  3. Satakunta
  4. Kanta-Häme
  5. Pirkanmaa
  6. Päijät-Häme
  7. Kymenlaakso
  8. South Karelia
  9. South Savo
  10. North Savo
  11. North Karelia
  12. Central Finland
  13. South Ostrobothnia
  14. Ostrobothnia
  15. Central Ostrobothnia
  16. North Ostrobothnia
  17. Kainuu
  18. Lapland
  19. Åland Islands

7. Were you born in Finland? (mutually exclusive response options)

  1. Yes
  2. No

8. Respondent’s country of birth (mutually exclusive response options)

  1. Finland
  2. Other

9. Respondent’s country of birth (mutually exclusive response options)

  1. Finland
  2. Other Nordic country
  3. Other European country
  4. Other country outside of Europe

10. What country or region were you born in? (mutually exclusive response options)

  1. Finland
  2. Other EU country
  3. Elsewhere in Europe
  4. Middle East
  5. Asia
  6. Africa
  7. Latin America
  8. The USA or Canada
  9. Oceania (Australia and Pacific Ocean islands)
  10. Other

11. What is your mother tongue?

  1. Finnish
  2. Swedish
  3. Other

Situation in life, economic activity, occupational and employment status Anchor link icon

1. Which of the following best describes your current situation? If you are temporarily away from paid work due to maternity, paternity or other leave, unpaid leave, or other similar reason, respond according to your usual employment status.

  1. Employee in full-time work
  2. Employee in part-time work
  3. Entrepreneur, self-employed, own account worker
  4. Conscript or in civilian service
  5. Pensioner/retired
  6. Housewife/house husband, caretaker
  7. Student or at school
  8. Unemployed
  9. Other

2. Which of the following best describes your current employment status?

  1. Entrepreneur, self-employed, own account worker
  2. Managerial/professional employee
  3. Intermediate level employee (clerical, technical, admin.)
  4. Worker
  5. Student
  6. Pensioner/retired
  7. Other

3. What is your current educational situation? (young people and young adults)

  1. Primary or lower secondary school
  2. Vocational upper secondary school
  3. General upper secondary school
  4. University of applied sciences
  5. University
  6. Workshop
  7. Folk high school
  8. Other education
  9. I’m not a student or at school

Level of education Anchor link icon

1. What is your level of education? (choose the highest level attained)

  1. Primary education
  2. Vocational school or course
  3. General upper secondary education (matriculation examination)
  4. Vocational college (post-secondary)
  5. University of applied sciences degree (Bachelor's)
  6. University of applied sciences degree (Master's)
  7. University degree (Bachelor's)
  8. University degree (Master's)

Field of education Anchor link icon

1. What is your field of education? (ISCED97 classification)

  1. General programmes
  2. Education
  3. Humanities and arts
  4. Social sciences
  5. Business, administration and law
  6. Science
  7. Computing
  8. Engineering, manufacturing and construction
  9. Agriculture, forestry and fishing
  10. Health and welfare
  11. Services
  12. Other

Branch of science Anchor link icon

1. What is your branch of science?

  1. Natural sciences
  2. Engineering and technology
  3. Medical and health sciences
  4. Agriculture and forestry
  5. Social sciences
  6. Humanities
  7. Other

Occupational group, status in employment Anchor link icon

1. If you are in employment, which of the following occupational groups would you say you belong to? (ISCO08 classification)

  1. Armed forces
  2. Managers
  3. Professionals
  4. Technicians and associate professionals
  5. Clerical support workers
  6. Service and sales workers
  7. Skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers
  8. Craft and related trades workers
  9. Plant and machine operators, and assemblers
  10. Elementary occupations

Sector of employment, industry of employment Anchor link icon

1. What type of sector do you work in?

  1. Public sector
  2. Private sector
  3. Not-for-profit sector
  4. I am not in paid employment

2. Respondent’s industry of employment

  1. Agriculture and forestry
  2. Industry, manufacturing, construction
  3. Private services
  4. Public services
  5. Third sector organisations
  6. I am not in paid employment

Income, social class Anchor link icon

The income data of the entire population at the time of the research should be considered when categorising income.

1. What is your total monthly income before taxes?

  1. 0–1,100 euros
  2. 1,101–1,400 euros
  3. 1,401–1,800 euros
  4. 1,801–2,200 euros
  5. 2,201–2,600 euros
  6. 2,601–3,200 euros
  7. 3,201–3,800 euros
  8. 3,801–4,600 euros
  9. 4,601–5,700 euros
  10. 5,701 euros or over

2. What is your gross annual income?

  1. 0–13,500 euros
  2. 13,501–16,800 euros
  3. 16,801–21,000 euros
  4. 21,001–26,000 euros
  5. 26,001–31,700 euros
  6. 31,701–38,400 euros
  7. 38,401–46,100 euros
  8. 46,101–54,800 euros
  9. 54,801–68,500 euros
  10. 68,501 euros or over

3. How would you describe the sufficiency of your or your household’s income?

  1. I/we get by comfortably with the current income
  2. I/we get by with the current income
  3. It is hard to get by with the current income
  4. It is very hard to get by with the current income

4. How would you describe your or your household’s financial circumstances at the moment?

  1. I am/we are affluent
  2. I/we manage quite well
  3. I/we manage, if I/we shop with care
  4. Sometimes I/we have to compromise
  5. I/we have to compromise with almost everything

5. What is your or your household’s financial situation?

  1. Income is not sufficient to get by with
  2. Income is sufficient to get by with
  3. Income is more than sufficient to get by with

6. Which social class would you say you belong to?

  1. Working class
  2. Lower middle class
  3. Middle class
  4. Upper middle class
  5. Upper class
  6. Do not consider myself as belonging to any class

Religious affiliation, degree of religiosity Anchor link icon

1. Do you belong to a church or other religious denomination?

  1. Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland
  2. Finnish Orthodox Church
  3. Other Christian church or community
  4. Other religious denomination
  5. Don't belong to any church or religious community

2. Do you belong to a church or other religious denomination?

  1. Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland
  2. Other Christian church or community
  3. Islam
  4. Other
  5. Don't belong to any church or religious community

3. How religious would you say you are?

  1. Not at all religious
  2. Not very religious
  3. Somewhat religious
  4. Very religious

4. How religious are you?

  1. Extremely religious
  2. Very religious
  3. Somewhat religious
  4. Neither religious nor non-religious
  5. Somewhat non-religious
  6. Very non-religious
  7. Extremely non-religious