Small Area Estimation

by J.N.K. Rao, Isabel Molina

Praise for the First Edition "This pioneering work, in which Rao provides a comprehensive and up-to-date treatment of small area estimation, will become a classic...I believe that it has the potential to turn small area estimation...into a larger area of importance to both researchers and practitioners."
― Journal of the American Statistical Association Written by two experts in the field, Small Area Estimation, Second Edition provides a comprehensive and up-to-date account of the methods and theory of small area estimation (SAE), particularly indirect estimation based on explicit small area linking models. The model-based approach to small area estimation offers several advantages including increased precision, the derivation of "optimal" estimates and associated measures of variability under an assumed model, and the validation of models from the sample data. Emphasizing real data throughout, the Second Edition maintains a self-contained account of crucial theoretical and methodological developments in the field of SAE. The new edition provides extensive accounts of new and updated research, which often involves complex theory to handle model misspecifications and other complexities. Including information on survey design issues and traditional methods employing indirect estimates based on implicit linking models, Small Area Estimation, Second Edition also features: Small Area Estimation, Second Edition is an excellent reference for practicing statisticians and survey methodologists as well as practitioners interested in learning SAE methods. The Second Edition is also an ideal textbook for graduate-level courses in SAE and reliable small area statistics.

480 pages, Hardcover

First published January 9, 2003

Reviews

[Tobias Wolfram · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps its due to the fact that I am more familiar with the style and tone of the microeconometric literature and cannot claim to have a deep familiarity with survey statistics in the first place and the rather strange terminology concerning mixed models (which seems to be rather common in certain parts of the field) employed by this book but the presentation strikes me as often at best barely understandable if the reader is not familiar with the relevant literature. Still it is a comprehensive but extremely dry presentation of all importan developments in SAE. It's a pity that there are no alternatives to this monstrosity if you are interested in Small Area Estimation.

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

Want to use the book for sorting out a problem by learning how to do estimation of small areas

[Jerzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dry dry dry dry... but thorough and rigorous, and useful for work.