The goal of this book is to put an array of tools at the fingertips of students, practitioners, and researchers by explaining approaches long used by survey statisticians, illustrating how existing software can be used to solve survey problems, and developing some specialized software where needed. This volume serves at least three audiences: (1) students of applied sampling techniques; 2) practicing survey statisticians applying concepts learned in theoretical or applied sampling courses; and (3) social scientists and other survey practitioners who design, select, and weight survey samples. The text thoroughly covers fundamental aspects of survey sampling, such as sample size calculation (with examples for both single- and multi-stage sample design) and weight computation, accompanied by software examples to facilitate implementation. Features include step-by-step instructions for calculating survey weights, extensive real-world examples and applications, and representative programming code in R, SAS, and other packages. Since the publication of the first edition in 2013, there have been important developments in making inferences from nonprobability samples, in address-based sampling (ABS), and in the application of machine learning techniques for survey estimation. New to this revised and expanded edition: • Details on new functions in the PracTools package • Additional machine learning methods to form weighting classes • New coverage of nonlinear optimization algorithms for sample allocation • Reflecting effects of multiple weighting steps (nonresponse and calibration) on standard errors • A new chapter on nonprobability sampling • Additional examples, exercises, and updated references throughout Richard Valliant, PhD, is Research Professor Emeritus at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan and at the Joint Program in Survey Methodology at the University of Maryland. He is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association, an elected member of the International Statistical Institute, and has been an Associate Editor of the Journal of the American Statistical Association, Journal of Official Statistics, and Survey Methodology. Jill A. Dever, PhD, is Senior Research Statistician at RTI International in Washington, DC. She is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association, Associate Editor for Survey Methodology and the Journal of Official Statistics, and an Assistant Research Professor in the Joint Program in Survey Methodology at the University of Maryland. She has served on several panels for the National Academy of Sciences and as a task force member for the American Association of Public Opinion Research’s report on nonprobability sampling. Frauke Kreuter, PhD, is Professor and Director of the Joint Program in Survey Methodology at the University of Maryland, Professor of Statistics and Methodology at the University of Mannheim, and Head of the Statistical Methods Research Department at the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) in Nürnberg, Germany. She is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association and has been Associate Editor of the Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Journal of Official Statistics, Sociological Methods and Research, Survey Research Methods, Public Opinion Quarterly, American Sociological Review, and the Stata Journal. She is founder of the International Program for Survey and Data Science and co-founder of the Coleridge Initiative.

Survey Weights: A Step-by-Step Guide to Calculation is the first guide geared toward Stata users that systematically covers the major steps taken in creating survey weights. These weights are used to project a sample to some larger population and can be computed for either probability or nonprobability samples. Sample designs can range from simple, single-stage samples to more complex, multistage samples, each of which may use specialized steps in weighting to account for selection probabilities, nonresponse, inaccurate coverage of a population by a sample, and auxiliary data to improve precision and compensate for coverage errors. The authors provide many examples with Stata code.

We elaborate a general workflow of weighting-based survey inference, decomposing it into two main tasks. The first is the estimation of population targets from one or more sources of auxiliary information. The second is the construction of weights that calibrate the survey sample to the population targets. We emphasize that these tasks are predicated on models of the measurement, sampling, and nonresponse process whose assumptions cannot be fully tested. After describing this workflow in abstract terms, we then describe in detail how it can be applied to the analysis of historical and contemporary opinion polls. We also discuss extensions of the basic workflow, particularly inference for causal quantities and multilevel regression and poststratification.

A complete, hands-on guide to the use of statistical methods for obtaining reliable and practical survey research Applied Survey Methods provides a comprehensive outline of the complete survey process, from design to publication. Filling a gap in the current literature, this one-of-a-kind book describes both the theory and practical applications of survey research with an emphasis on the statistical aspects of survey methods. The book begins with a brief historic overview of survey research methods followed by a discussion that details the needed first steps for carrying out a survey, including the definition of a target population, the selection of a sampling frame, and the outline of a questionnaire with several examples that include common errors to avoid in the wording of questions. Throughout the book, the author provides an accessible discussion on the methodological problems that are associated with the survey process, outlining real data and examples while also providing insight on the future of survey research. Chapter coverage explores the various aspects of the survey process and the accompanying numerical techniques, including: Simple and composite sampling designs Estimators Data collection and editing The quality of results The non-response problem Weighting adjustments and methods Disclosure control The final chapter addresses the growing popularity of Web surveys, and the associated methodological problems are discussed, including solutions to common pitfalls. Exercises are provided throughout with selected answers included at the end of the book, while a related Web site features additional solutions to exercises and a downloadable demo version of the Blaise system of computer-assisted interviewing. Access to the freely available SimSam software is also available on the related Web site and provides readers with the tools needed to simulate samples from finite populations as well as visualize the effects of sample size, non-response, and the use of different estimation procedures. Applied Survey Methods is an excellent book for courses on survey research and non-response in surveys at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels. It is also a useful reference for practicing statisticians and survey methodologists who work in both government and private research sectors.

The three parts of this book on survey methodology combine an introduction to basic sampling theory, engaging presentation of topics that reflect current research trends, and informed discussion of the problems commonly encountered in survey practice. These related aspects of survey methodology rarely appear together under a single connected roof, making this book a unique combination of materials for teaching, research and practice in survey sampling. Basic knowledge of probability theory and statistical inference is assumed, but no prior exposure to survey sampling is required. The first part focuses on the design-based approach to finite population sampling. It contains a rigorous coverage of basic sampling designs, related estimation theory, model-based prediction approach, and model-assisted estimation methods. The second part stems from original research conducted by the authors as well as important methodological advances in the field during the past three decades. Topics include calibration weighting methods, regression analysis and survey weighted estimating equation (EE) theory, longitudinal surveys and generalized estimating equations (GEE) analysis, variance estimation and resampling techniques, empirical likelihood methods for complex surveys, handling missing data and non-response, and Bayesian inference for survey data. The third part provides guidance and tools on practical aspects of large-scale surveys, such as training and quality control, frame construction, choices of survey designs, strategies for reducing non-response, and weight calculation. These procedures are illustrated through real-world surveys. Several specialized topics are also discussed in detail, including household surveys, telephone and web surveys, natural resource inventory surveys, adaptive and network surveys, dual-frame and multiple frame surveys, and analysis of non-probability survey samples. This book is a self-contained introduction to survey sampling that provides a strong theoretical base with coverage of current research trends and pragmatic guidance and tools for conducting surveys.

A complete guide to carrying out complex survey analysis using R As survey analysis continues to serve as a core component of sociological research, researchers are increasingly relying upon data gathered from complex surveys to carry out traditional analyses. Complex Surveys is a practical guide to the analysis of this kind of data using R, the freely available and downloadable statistical programming language. As creator of the specific survey package for R, the author provides the ultimate presentation of how to successfully use the software for analyzing data from complex surveys while also utilizing the most current data from health and social sciences studies to demonstrate the application of survey research methods in these fields. The book begins with coverage of basic tools and topics within survey analysis such as simple and stratified sampling, cluster sampling, linear regression, and categorical data regression. Subsequent chapters delve into more technical aspects of complex survey analysis, including post-stratification, two-phase sampling, missing data, and causal inference. Throughout the book, an emphasis is placed on graphics, regression modeling, and two-phase designs. In addition, the author supplies a unique discussion of epidemiological two-phase designs as well as probability-weighting for causal inference. All of the book's examples and figures are generated using R, and a related Web site provides the R code that allows readers to reproduce the presented content. Each chapter concludes with exercises that vary in level of complexity, and detailed appendices outline additional mathematical and computational descriptions to assist readers with comparing results from various software systems. Complex Surveys is an excellent book for courses on sampling and complex surveys at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels. It is also a practical reference guide for applied statisticians and practitioners in the social and health sciences who use statistics in their everyday work.

Highly recommended by the Journal of Official Statistics, The American Statistician, and other journals, Applied Survey Data Analysis, Second Edition provides an up-to-date overview of state-of-the-art approaches to the analysis of complex sample survey data. Building on the wealth of material on practical approaches to descriptive analysis and regression modeling from the first edition, this second edition expands the topics covered and presents more step-by-step examples of modern approaches to the analysis of survey data using the newest statistical software. Designed for readers working in a wide array of disciplines who use survey data in their work, this book continues to provide a useful framework for integrating more in-depth studies of the theory and methods of survey data analysis. An example-driven guide to the applied statistical analysis and interpretation of survey data, the second edition contains many new examples and practical exercises based on recent versions of real-world survey data sets. Although the authors continue to use Stata for most examples in the text, they also continue to offer SAS, SPSS, SUDAAN, R, WesVar, IVEware, and Mplus software code for replicating the examples on the book’s updated website.