Design-Based vs. Model-Based Estimation (Free Seminar) (Online)
Date:
09/10/2025
Organised by:
Instats Inc
Presenter:
Washington Statistical Society
Level:
Intermediate (some prior knowledge)
Contact:
Marc Monit
marc@instats.org
Venue: Online
Description:
This seminar offers a comparison of the accuracy of design-based and model-based estimation in the presence of “all or nothing” data. Model-based estimation has been used to estimate values on tax returns for decades, with a goal of estimating a dependent variable y (such as a qualifying amount or taxable amount) from a model built from an independent variable x (typically some type of cost or expenditure). In many tax settings, y=x with probability p, and y=0 with probability 1-p. For example, an expenditure, x, either qualifies for a deduction or credit in its entirety or not at all. This has informally been dubbed the “all or nothing” scenario. This webinar reviews the theoretical foundation of applying model-based estimation in this common tax setting and provides simulations demonstrating its efficacy in comparison to common design-based alternatives — the Mean Per Unit (MPU) or Horvitz-Thompson estimator, and the difference estimator (DIFF).
Cost:
FREE
Website and registration:
Region:
International
Keywords:
Quantitative Data Handling and Data Analysis, design-based, model-based, tax,
Related publications and presentations from our eprints archive:
Quantitative Data Handling and Data Analysis