A comprehensive, one-stop guide to identifying, reducing, and managing nonresponse in household surveys

Nonresponse and its impact on the sample selection mechanism of a survey is a common problem that often arises while collecting survey data. Handbook of Nonresponse in Household Surveys is a complete guide to handling the nonresponse problem, outlining statistical methods and techniques for improving response rates and correcting response data.

The authors begin with an introduction to the nonresponse problem along with basic concepts and definitions. Subsequent chapters present current theories and methods that enable survey researchers to skillfully account for nonresponse in their research. Exploring the latest developments in the field, the book also features:

• An introduction to the R-indicator as an indicator of survey quality

• Discussion of the different causes of nonresponse

• Extensive treatment of the selection and use of auxiliary information

• Best practices for re-approaching nonrespondents

• An overview of advanced nonresponse correction techniques

• Coverage of adaptive survey design

Throughout the book, the treatment of each topic is presented in a uniform fashion. Following an introduction, each chapter presents the key theories and formulas underlying the topic and then illustrates common applications. Discussion concludes with a summary of the main concepts as well as a glossary of key terms and a set of exercises that allows readers to test their comprehension of the presented material. Examples using real survey data are provided, and a related website features additional data sets, which can be easily analyzed using Stata(R) or SPSS(R) software.

Handbook of Nonresponse in Household Surveys is an essential reference for survey researchers working in the fields of business, economics, government, and the social sciences who gather, analyze, and draw results from data. It is also a suitable supplement for courses on survey methods at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels.

Jelke Bethlehem, PhD, is Senior Survey Methodologist in the Division of Methodology and Quality at Statistics Netherlands and Professor at the University of Amsterdam. His current research interests include web surveys, computer-assisted survey information collection, graphical techniques in statistics, and the development of user-friendly software for statistical analysis. Dr. Bethlehem is the author of Applied Survey Methods: A Statistical Perspective and coeditor of Computer Assisted Survey Information Collection, both published by Wiley.

Fannie Cobben, PhD, is Project Manager at Statistics Netherlands, focusing on the redesign of household surveys. She has written several published papers on the topics of nonresponse, representativity, and adjustment methods in survey research.

Barry Schouten, PhD, is Senior Methodologist in the Division of Methodology and Quality at Statistics Netherlands. Dr. Schouten's areas of research interest include nonresponse and response bias in mixed-mode surveys, indicators for representativeness of response, and adaptive and responsive survey designs.