Nonresponse Rates and Nonresponse Bias in Surveys
Venue: Highfield Campus, University of Southampton, UK
Presenter: Prof Robert Groves
Dates of Course: Thursday 26th - Friday 27th June 2008
This course has already run. Please check the course listings for a future course.
Summary of Course:
In light of declining nonresponse rates in sample surveys, the attention of survey methodologists is turning from nonresponse rates towards the relationship between nonresponse rates and nonresponse bias. This course is designed to help conducting nonresponse bias studies when response rates are less than 80 percent or there is reason to suspect that estimates are biased from nonresponse. Practical tools are described and examples are used to illustrate methods that can be used to conduct these studies. The advantages and disadvantages of these methods are presented, and the value of having multiple approaches is highlighted. The need to devise strategies for nonresponse and for its analysis in the planning stage, prior to completing the survey are emphasized. The course focuses primarily on unit-nonresponse.
Course Objectives:
- To provide participants with an understanding of the consequences of nonresponse for survey data analysis and survey quality
- To provide participants with practical tools to examine nonresponse bias in surveys
Course Content:
This course will include the following topics:
- Factors which affect non-response
- Methods to analyse nonresponse bias in surveys
- Methods for reducing non-response
- Modelling approaches to non-response
The course will have a strong practical emphasis, including workshop sessions to enable participants to work through examples.
Target Audience:
The course is aimed at both at researchers who design surveys and wish to reduce non-response and at researchers who analyse survey data and wish to compensate for the effects of non-response. The course is especially for those in the social, economic, educational and medical sciences and those working in government and official statistics and survey agencies.The course is suitable for statisticians or for social scientists who have a basic familiarity with statistical ideas of estimation in surveys.
Pre-requisite:
Examples will be presented and only rudimentary statistical knowledge of concepts such as bias and variance of the estimates is required of participants.The course will have a practical emphasis, with regular workshop sessions using real survey data, to enable participants to work through examples.
Although no formal pre-requisites are necessary participants may find it useful to also attend the course ‘Handling Nonresponse in Sample Surveys’, 10-11 March 2008, which will provide a good introduction to the topic.
Course Materials:
Participants will receive written course notes.
The Instructor:
Robert. M. Groves is Research Professor at the Joint Program in Survey Methodology and Director, University of Michigan Survey Research Center. He is the author of Survey Errors and Survey Costs and co-author of the new text Survey Methodology (both by Wiley). He is a student of survey participation, working now on behavioral foundations of decisions to participate in surveys and the determinants of nonresponse error arising from nonparticipation. He has extensive experience in the delivery of short courses, particularly on nonresponse.
Course Fee:
£25 per day for UK-registered students. £50 per day for staff from UK academic institutions (including research centres), ESRC funded researchers and registered charity organizations. £195 per day for all other participants. The course fee includes course materials, lunches and morning and afternoon tea, but not accommodation and travel which is to be arranged by the participant.
Location:
The course will be held at the Southampton Statistical Sciences Research Institute, Building 39, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ Further information can be found here.
Duration:
This is a 2 day course, from 26 June to 27 June 2008 inclusive.
Preparatory Reading:
For those who would like to do preparatory reading the following references may be useful. Please note that this reading is optional and it will not be assumed that participants have done any preparatory reading.
- Special issue on Nonresponse Bias in Household Surveys, Public Opinion Quarterly 2006, Vol 70, No 5.
- Groves, R.M. (2006): Nonresponse rates and nonresponse bias in household surveys, Public Opinion Quarterly, 70, 5, pp. 646-675.
- Groves, R.M. and Couper, M.P. (1998): Non-response in Household Interview Surveys, New York: Wiley.
- Groves, R.M., Dillman, D.A., Eltinge, J.L. and Little, R.J.A. (Eds) (2002): Survey Nonresponse, Wiley, New York.
Accommodation:
Participants are left to book their own accommodation according to individual needs. Information can be obtained from here.
Deadlines and Refunds:
Course places are limited and early completion of this form is recommended. Payment must be made when submitting the registration form. Refunds for cancellation are as follows. Full refund for cancellation one calendar month before the course, no refunds can be made for cancellations after this date. Please note that in case of cancellation an administration charge of £30 may apply.