Conducting Nonresponse Bias Analysis for Business Surveys

• Activity Number: 492
• Type: Invited
• Date/Time: Wednesday, August 4, 2010 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Government Statistics
• Author(s): Joanna Fane Lineback*+ and Katherine Jenny Thompson
• Companies: U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Census Bureau
• Keywords: nonresponse bias analysis ; response rate ; business survey ; response mechanism ; response model

Abstract

The Office of Management and Budget directs survey programs to conduct nonresponse bias analysis when response rates fail to meet target values. The literature focuses largely on nonresponse bias analysis methods for demographic surveys. Such surveys are generally characterized by multi-stage designs with heterogeneous populations within selected clusters. In contrast, business surveys are characterized by single-stage designs with highly skewed populations. This paper examines nonresponse bias analysis methods for business surveys, including response rate analysis, examination of the response mechanism, benchmarking, and the use of frame data, illustrating each method with examples from ongoing economic programs conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau.