Data from the survey are widely used, from analysis at the Federal Reserve and other branches of government to scholarly work at the major economic research centers.
In order to address issues relevant to the full distribution of wealth, the survey combines two techniques for random sampling.
Second, a supplemental sample is selected to disproportionately include wealthy families, which hold a relatively large share of such thinly held assets as noncorporate businesses and tax-exempt bonds.
These records are used under strict rules governing confidentiality, the rights of potential respondents to refuse participation in the survey, and the types of information that can be made available.
To retain the scientific validity of the study, interviewers are not allowed to substitute respondents for families that do not participate.