Seminars

The Whys and Hows of Analyzing Complex Survey Data

Presenter(s): David Binder, PhD and Georgia Roberts, PhD

Description:

The COOL-RDC is sponsoring a workshop on analyzing complex survey data, including approaches to the proper use of weights. The workshop will be presented by two experts from Statistics Canada, and it is of particular relevance to people using data either from the RDC or DLI. For those who are not familiar with the COOL-RDC, this will be an introduction to the kind of data that are available through this facility. The workshop will begin with a general talk about why typical survey data are different from data collected by simple random sampling and why these differences need to be accounted for when doing analyses. The advantages of a “design-based approach” to analysis to account for survey complexities will be given. One particular artificial example will be used to illustrate the points made, along with some references to real examples. Situations will be discussed where the design-based approach for analyzing data from a complex survey may be either inappropriate or may need further investigation. The second portion of the workshop will focus on some practicalities and will use examples from Statistics Canada surveys. Some of the questions to be covered are:

• How are weights generated, so that weighted estimates are approximately unbiased for the quantities under study in the analysis?
• What is design based variance estimation and what are approaches for carrying it out?
• How are survey bootstrap weights used for variance estimation?
• What are the software tools available for carrying out design-based analysis, with emphasis on tools that can make use of survey bootstrap weights?
• Why might there be different survey weight variables in a data file?
• Why and how might you consider combining data from more than one survey in a single analysis?
• How might you deal with repeated measures from a longitudinal survey?

Discussion will be encouraged throughout the workshop.

Date: Wednesday, June 21, 2006 from 1:00 to 4:00 PM

Location: Morisset Library, Room MRT 211, University of Ottawa, 65, University St.

Intended audience: Researchers or graduate students using data either from the RDC or DLI.

Language of the workshop: English

Cost: Free

Reservations: Karen Buhr or Carole Sawaya, RDC Analysts coolrdc@uottawa.ca (613) 562-5800 X2887, before June 19, 2006.