Estimating Interviewer Variance under a Measurement Error Model for Continuous Survey Data

Peter Lundqvist(1) and Jan Wretman(2)




Abstract
A simple measurement error model is introduced for continuous data collected by interviewers. The model makes a clear distinction between three different sources of randomness, namely, samle selection, interviewer assignment, and interviewing. The concept of interviewer variance is defined in the context of this measurement error model, and the problem of estimating the interviewer variance is considered, assuming simple random sampling. A simulation study indicates that estimates of the interviewer variance are unstable, especially when the interviewer variance is small (in which case the effect of interviewer variability on the main survey results may still be severe)

 

(1) Statistics Sweden, S-10451 Stockholm and Department of Statistics, S-106 91, Stockholm.

(2) Stockholm University, Department of Statistics, S-106 91, Stockholm.


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