singpolymatweeted, “Are all questions on a Canadian census really non-optional? Why not change that instead of killing the census? http://sngpl.ma/t46q0” @ 2010-200 15:51 UTC
4 Responses
egerlach
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@singpolyma The problem is that having optional questions on a census introduces self-selection bias. It makes the data useless.
wolever
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@singpolyma because if you make questions optional, they aren’t valid for “all Canadians” — just “Canadians who reply to census”
mikeboos
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@singpolyma The point is that by making the questions mandatory, it eliminates many of the sampling errors inherent in voluntary responses.
mikeboos
•
@singpolyma E.g., in UG, a survey was given about debt. Since I had none, I didn’t fill it out, helped my peers look like more help needed
4 Responses
egerlach •
@singpolyma The problem is that having optional questions on a census introduces self-selection bias. It makes the data useless.
wolever •
@singpolyma because if you make questions optional, they aren’t valid for “all Canadians” — just “Canadians who reply to census”
mikeboos •
@singpolyma The point is that by making the questions mandatory, it eliminates many of the sampling errors inherent in voluntary responses.
mikeboos •
@singpolyma E.g., in UG, a survey was given about debt. Since I had none, I didn’t fill it out, helped my peers look like more help needed