Comparing Name Generator Designs in Panel Personal Network Data: Implications for Alter Re-Elicitation in a Rural Field Setting

We conducted a two-wave personal network study in a rural Romanian community. We interviewed 68 participants twice using different name generators. The first wave used a fixed-choice generator (25 alters) focused on emotional closeness. The second wave, six months later, used a non-fixed generator based on frequent interaction. This change responded to feedback that the fixed-choice format was burdensome. The study illustrates how adapting design to respondent feedback affects data collection. It also compares alter profiles across generators and examines patterns of tie re-elicitation across waves. Alters re-elicited across waves were typically kin, co-residents, and emotionally close. Although the non-fixed generator captured weaker and more diverse ties, re-elicitation was shaped mainly by tie strength, underscoring how relational attributes shape consistency in reported ties across generators. Because name generator type and wave are confounded, observed differences should be interpreted cautiously and cannot be attributed solely to social network change.