Written for students and researchers who wish to understand the conceptual and practical aspects of sampling, Applied Survey Sampling, by Edward A. Blair and Johnny Blair, is designed to be accessible without requiring advanced statistical training. It covers a wide range of topics, from the basics of sampling to special topics such as sampling rare populations, sampling organizational populations, and sampling visitors to a place. Using cases and examples to illustrate sampling principles and procedures, the book thoroughly covers the fundamentals of modern survey sampling, and addresses recent changes in the survey environment such as declining response rates, the rise of Internet surveys, the need to accommodate cell phones in telephone surveys, and emerging uses of social media and big data.

A complete, hands-on guide to the use of statistical methods for obtaining reliable and practical survey research Applied Survey Methods provides a comprehensive outline of the complete survey process, from design to publication. Filling a gap in the current literature, this one-of-a-kind book describes both the theory and practical applications of survey research with an emphasis on the statistical aspects of survey methods. The book begins with a brief historic overview of survey research methods followed by a discussion that details the needed first steps for carrying out a survey, including the definition of a target population, the selection of a sampling frame, and the outline of a questionnaire with several examples that include common errors to avoid in the wording of questions. Throughout the book, the author provides an accessible discussion on the methodological problems that are associated with the survey process, outlining real data and examples while also providing insight on the future of survey research. Chapter coverage explores the various aspects of the survey process and the accompanying numerical techniques, including: Simple and composite sampling designs Estimators Data collection and editing The quality of results The non-response problem Weighting adjustments and methods Disclosure control The final chapter addresses the growing popularity of Web surveys, and the associated methodological problems are discussed, including solutions to common pitfalls. Exercises are provided throughout with selected answers included at the end of the book, while a related Web site features additional solutions to exercises and a downloadable demo version of the Blaise system of computer-assisted interviewing. Access to the freely available SimSam software is also available on the related Web site and provides readers with the tools needed to simulate samples from finite populations as well as visualize the effects of sample size, non-response, and the use of different estimation procedures. Applied Survey Methods is an excellent book for courses on survey research and non-response in surveys at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels. It is also a useful reference for practicing statisticians and survey methodologists who work in both government and private research sectors.

Sampling is fundamental to nearly every study in the social and policy sciences, yet clear, concise guidance for practitioners and graduate students has been difficult to find. Practical Sampling provides guidance for researchers dealing with the everyday problems of sampling. Using the practical design approach Henry integrates sampling into the overall research design and explains the interrelationships between research design and sampling choices. He lays out alternatives and implications of the choices using four detailed examples to illustrate the alternatives selected and the trade-offs made by applied researchers. The author uses a narrative, conceptual approach throughout the book; mathematical presentations are limited to necessary formulas; and calculations are kept to the absolute minimum, making it an easily approachable book for any researcher, student or professional across the social sciences.

Now available in paperback, this book provides a comprehensive account of survey sampling theory and methodology suitable for students and researchers across a variety of disciplines. It shows how statistical modeling is a vital component of the sampling process and in the choice of estimation technique. The first textbook that systematically extends traditional sampling theory with the aid of a modern model assisted outlook. Covers classical topics as well as areas where significant new developments have taken place.

Survey Sampling Theory and Applications offers a comprehensive overview of survey sampling, including the basics of sampling theory and practice, as well as research-based topics and examples of emerging trends. The text is useful for basic and advanced survey sampling courses. Many other books available for graduate students do not contain material on recent developments in the area of survey sampling. The book covers a wide spectrum of topics on the subject, including repetitive sampling over two occasions with varying probabilities, ranked set sampling, Fays method for balanced repeated replications, mirror-match bootstrap, and controlled sampling procedures. Many topics discussed here are not available in other text books. In each section, theories are illustrated with numerical examples. At the end of each chapter theoretical as well as numerical exercises are given which can help graduate students. - Covers a wide spectrum of topics on survey sampling and statistics - Serves as an ideal text for graduate students and researchers in survey sampling theory and applications - Contains material on recent developments in survey sampling not covered in other books - Illustrates theories using numerical examples and exercises

This text brings together important ideas on the model-based approach to sample survey, which has been developed over the last twenty years. Suitable for graduate students and professional statisticians, it moves from basic ideas fundamental to sampling to more rigorous mathematical modelling and data analysis and includes exercises and solutions.

Written for students and researchers who wish to understand the conceptual and practical aspects of sampling, this book is designed to be accessible without requiring advanced statistical training. It covers a wide range of topics, from the basics of sampling to special topics such as sampling rare populations, sampling organizational populations, and sampling visitors to a place. Using cases and examples to illustrate sampling principles and procedures, the book thoroughly covers the fundamentals of modern survey sampling, and addresses recent changes in the survey environment such as declining response rates, the rise of Internet surveys, the need to accommodate cell phones in telephone surveys, and emerging uses of social media and big data.

Lavrakas presents an applied approach to conducting telephone surveys. He details a highly routinized process for planning and implementing telephone surveys that produces quality data. Telephone Survey Methods focuses on sampling, selection and supervision - topics not covered in depth in existing texts. It is ideal for organizations and agencies who want to conduct a survey and have little knowledge of where to begin and how to proceed.

To the uninformed, surveys appear to be an easy type of research to design and conduct, but when students and professionals delve deeper, they encounter the vast complexities that the range and practice of survey methods present. To complicate matters, technology has rapidly affected the way surveys can be conducted; today, surveys are conducted via cell phone, the Internet, email, interactive voice response, and other technology-based modes. Thus, students, researchers, and professionals need both a comprehensive understanding of these complexities and a revised set of tools to meet the challenges. In conjunction with top survey researchers around the world and with Nielsen Media Research serving as the corporate sponsor, the Encyclopedia of Survey Research Methods presents state-of-the-art information and methodological examples from the field of survey research. Although there are other "how-to" guides and references texts on survey research, none is as comprehensive as this Encyclopedia, and none presents the material in such a focused and approachable manner. With more than 600 entries, this resource uses a Total Survey Error perspective that considers all aspects of possible survey error from a cost-benefit standpoint. Key Features Covers all major facets of survey research methodology, from selecting the sample design and the sampling frame, designing and pretesting the questionnaire, data collection, and data coding, to the thorny issues surrounding diminishing response rates, confidentiality, privacy, informed consent and other ethical issues, data weighting, and data analyses Presents a Reader′s Guide to organize entries around themes or specific topics and easily guide users to areas of interest Offers cross-referenced terms, a brief listing of Further Readings, and stable Web site URLs following most entries The Encyclopedia of Survey Research Methods is specifically written to appeal to beginning, intermediate, and advanced students, practitioners, researchers, consultants, and consumers of survey-based information.

Survey sampling is fundamentally an applied field. The goal in this book is to put an array of tools at the fingertips of practitioners by explaining approaches long used by survey statisticians, illustrating how existing software can be used to solve survey problems, and developing some specialized software where needed. This book serves at least three audiences: (1) Students seeking a more in-depth understanding of applied sampling either through a second semester-long course or by way of a supplementary reference; (2) Survey statisticians searching for practical guidance on how to apply concepts learned in theoretical or applied sampling courses; and (3) Social scientists and other survey practitioners who desire insight into the statistical thinking and steps taken to design, select, and weight random survey samples. Several survey data sets are used to illustrate how to design samples, to make estimates from complex surveys for use in optimizing the sample allocation, and to calculate weights. Realistic survey projects are used to demonstrate the challenges and provide a context for the solutions. The book covers several topics that either are not included or are dealt with in a limited way in other texts. These areas include: sample size computations for multistage designs; power calculations related to surveys; mathematical programming for sample allocation in a multi-criteria optimization setting; nuts and bolts of area probability sampling; multiphase designs; quality control of survey operations; and statistical software for survey sampling and estimation. An associated R package, PracTools, contains a number of specialized functions for sample size and other calculations. The data sets used in the book are also available in PracTools, so that the reader may replicate the examples or perform further analyses.