Jean Opsomer (Iowa State University)

"Nonparametric Regression Methods in Surveys"

Until recently, nonparametric methods were only rarely used in survey statistics despite many potential areas of application. This has now begun to change, and this short course will describe several applications of nonparametric methods in survey estimation. We will start with a review of concepts of survey statistics, including sampling and design-based estimation, and discuss some of the unique features of surveys that make statistical inference challenging. We will then cover four main topics: nonparametric regression estimation for surveys, fitting of nonparametric models using survey data, nonparametric adjustments for nonresponse, and small area estimation.