The German Social Cohesion Panel (SCP): Theoretical Background, Instruments, Survey Design, and Analytical Potential

The German Social Cohesion Panel (SCP) is a probability-based self-administered longitudinal study in a mixed-mode design (PAPI and CAWI) that is jointly carried out by the Research Institute Social Cohesion (RISC) and the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP). The aim of the study is to capture the diversity of social cohesion in Germany from multiple perspectives, particularly regarding the extent to which social cohesion changes over time. The annual surveys, which were implemented for the first time in 2021, are based on a representative sample drawn from German population registers. The SCP covers aspects of social inequality, social conflict and social cohesion; its first wave contains information of more than 17,000 individuals, while almost 8,000 persons participated in its third wave. This data brief provides information about the content and panel history of the first three waves of the SCP.