Statisticians are Fairly Robust Estimators of Location

2005

Journal of Official Statistics, 2010

The two volumes of Sample Survey Methods and Theory by Hansen, Hurwitz, and Madow (1953) have had great influence on the training and practice of survey statisticians. We examine current themes in survey sampling research and relate them to topics taught in classes on survey sampling. We discuss other aspects of university training and background that may help the survey statistician thrive in and adapt to a variety of environments. Key words: Communication; history of sampling; probability sampling; statistical education; ...

Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series D, 2001

It is generally thought that the sample survey was developed in the social sciences in the late 19th century. We trace its inception back to the survey of rural economy that was undertaken by Arthur Young in England in 1768. Young was aware that his survey technique was an important innovation, and he discussed the best method of data collection to ensure that the sample was representative of the population. His contemporaries, such as Davies and Eden, recognized the potential of sample surveys and soon undertook important investigations based on Young's model. Sample surveys declined in importance during the 19th century as census data became more abundant and mathematicians formalized the theory of population statistics.

Since the beginning of the twentieth century the economic and social life of the people and the functional system of industry and business, educational and medical facilities and other activities of the community have undergone substantial changes due to spectacular developments in the field of science and technology. Now the emphasis is on specialization in mass production and utilization of goods and services of a given type with a view to get the maximum possible benefit per unit of cost. Considerable planning is required in a large-scale projects and any rational decision regarding efficient formulation and execution of suitable plans and projects or an objective assessment of their effectiveness, whether in the filed of industry, business or governmental activities, has necessarily to be based on objective data regarding resources and needs. There is, therefore, a need for various types of statistical (quantified) information to be collected and analyzed in an objective manner and presented suitably so as to serve as a sound basis for taking policy decisions in different fields of human activity. In modern times, the primary users of statistical data are the state, industry, business, scientific institutions, public organizations and international agencies.

2011

Sample survey theory is concerned with methods of sampling from a finite population of N units and then making inferences about finite population quantities on the basis of the sample data. A method of sampling coupled with a method of estimation given the sample data is often referred to as a sampling strategy, and typically corresponds to a set of rules which tell one how to obtain a sample of units from the finite population and then how to manipulate the resulting sample data to estimate the value of a quantity defined for the entire population.

PS: Political Science & Politics, 2010

We investigate differences in what students learn about survey methodology in a class on public opinion presented in two critically different ways: with the inclusion or exclusion of an original research project using a random-digit-dial telephone survey. Using a quasi-experimental design and data obtained from pretests and posttests in two public opinion courses, we test the hypothesis that students who participate in an original survey research project will have a stronger understanding of survey research methods than students who do not. To better assess the effect of the active learning element of the course, we estimate average treatment effects on the students who participated in the original survey project using nearest neighbor matching (Abadie et al. 2004) with student scores on a pretest. We find evidence of modest improvement in learning of survey methods in the course featuring the original survey research project; however, the major finding here is that a course featuri...

Supplementary materials are available for this article.

2005

Approximately two decades ago I was approached by Carl-Erik Särndal, Bengt Swensson, and Jan Wretman. They presented a proposal for a book project and at the time I was Head of the Research and Development Department at Statistics Sweden and Chair of our Methods Council. The Council liked the proposal very much and since two of the authors (Carl-Erik and Jan) were Statistics Sweden employees it was decided that the book project should be included in our methods development plan. Eventually the authors found other funding sources as the work progressed and they moved on to various university departments. But Statistics Sweden is very proud of being involved in the initial phases of their endeavor. The book, Model Assisted Survey Sampling, was published by Springer-Verlag in 1992 and soon became a widely admired and used textbook, sometimes referred to as “The Yellow Book” or “The Big Yellow” or “The Big Yellow Book.” With their book the authors set a new threshold for textbooks on su...

2008

The Joint Program in Survey Methodology, initiated in 1993, has had a major impact on the work force at the federal statistical agencies in the United States and is having a growing impact on the field of survey methodology. This paper discusses the history and structure of the program as well as its impact on the careers of its graduates. The paper also discusses JPSM's collaborative relationships to its other partners. It explores the impact of the contributions from JPSM graduates on the official statistics programs conducted by the ...