On parametric bootstrap methods for small area prediction

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Hall, P; Maiti, T
• 署名单位: Australian National University; Iowa State University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL STATISTICAL SOCIETY SERIES B-STATISTICAL METHODOLOGY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1369-7412
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9868.2006.00541.x
• 发表日期: 2006
• 页码: 221-238
• 关键词: mean squared error; Standard errors; relative risks; uncertainty; estimators

摘要

The particularly wide range of applications of small area prediction, e.g. in policy making decisions, has meant that this topic has received substantial attention in recent years. The problems of estimating mean-squared predictive error, of correcting that estimator for bias and of constructing prediction intervals have been addressed by various workers, although existing methodology is still restricted to a narrow range of models. To overcome this difficulty we develop new, bootstrap-based methods, which are applicable in very general settings, for constructing bias-corrected estimators of mean-squared error and for computing prediction regions. Unlike existing techniques, which are based largely on Taylor expansions, our bias-corrected mean-squared error estimators do not require analytical calculation. They also have the property that they are non-negative. Our prediction intervals have a high degree of coverage accuracy, O(n(-3)), where n is the number of areas, if double-bootstrap methods are employed. The techniques do not depend on the form of the small area estimator and are applicable to general two-level, small area models, where the variables at either level can be discrete or continuous and, in particular, can be non-normal. Most importantly, the new methods are simple and easy to apply.