Not Asked and Not Answered: Multiple Imputation for Multiple Surveys

Journal of the American Statistical Association, Vol. 93, No. 443, pp. 846-857, September 1999

12 Pages Posted: 16 Jan 2008

See all articles by Andrew Gelman

Andrew Gelman

Columbia University - Department of Statistics and Department of Political Science

Gary King

Harvard University

Chuanhai Liu

Bell Laboratories

Abstract

We present a method of analyzing a series of independent cross-sectional surveys in which some questions are not answered in some surveys and some respondents do not answer some of the questions posed. The method is also applicable to a single survey in which different questions are asked or different sampling methods are used in different strata or clusters. Our method involves multiply imputing the missing items and questions by adding to existing methods of imputation designed for single surveys a hierarchical regression model that allows covariates at the individual and survey levels. Information from survey weights is exploited by including in the analysis the variables on which the weights are based, and then reweighting individual responses (observed and imputed) to estimate population quantities. We also develop diagnostics for checking the fit of the imputation model based on comparing imputed data to nonimputed data. We illustrate with the example that motivated this project: a study of pre-election public opinion polls in which not all the questions of interest are asked in all the surveys, so that it is infeasible to impute within each survey separately.

Suggested Citation

Gelman, Andrew and King, Gary and Liu, Chuanhai, Not Asked and Not Answered: Multiple Imputation for Multiple Surveys. Journal of the American Statistical Association, Vol. 93, No. 443, pp. 846-857, September 1999 , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1083824

Andrew Gelman (Contact Author)

Columbia University - Department of Statistics and Department of Political Science ( email )

New York, NY 10027
United States
212-854-4883 (Phone)
212-663-2454 (Fax)

Gary King

Harvard University ( email )

1737 Cambridge St.
Institute for Quantitative Social Science
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States
617-500-7570 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://gking.harvard.edu

Chuanhai Liu

Bell Laboratories ( email )

600 Mountain Avenue
Murray Hill, NJ 07974
United States

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