A methodological strategy for a one-number census in the UK

• Published in: Journal of the Royal Statistical Society. Series A, Statistics in society Vol. 162; no. 2; pp. 247 - 267
• Main Authors: Brown, J. J., Diamond, I. D., Chambers, R. L., Buckner, L. J., Teague, A. D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK and Boston, USA Blackwell Publishers Ltd 1999; Blackwell Publishers; Blackwell; Royal Statistical Society
• Series: Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A
• Subjects: Applications; Biology, psychology, social sciences; Census coverage survey; Census divisions; Census underenumeration; Censuses; Design; Developed Countries; Dual system estimation; Estimation methods; Estimators; Europe; Evaluation Studies as Topic; Exact sciences and technology; Mathematics; Methods; Nonparametric inference; Parametric inference; Population; Population Characteristics; Population estimates; Probability and statistics; Regression estimation; Research Design; Response rates; Sample size; Sampling; Sampling Studies; Sciences and techniques of general use; Statistics; Statistics as Topic; Survey design; Unbiased estimators; United Kingdom; United Kingdom; Europe; Statistical regression; Parameter estimation; Census; 1991; Estimator robustness; Statistical estimation; Sampling; Measurement; Evaluation; Data Adjustment; Northern Europe; Europe; Methodological Studies; United Kingdom; Research Methodology; Sampling Studies; Error Sources; Studies; Developed Countries; Undercount; Census Methods; Population Statistics; Estimation Technics
• ISSN: 0964-1998; 1467-985X
• DOI: 10.1111/1467-985X.00133

As a result of lessons learnt from the 1991 census, a research programme was set up to seek improvements in census methodology. Underenumeration has been placed top of the agenda in this programme, and every effort is being made to achieve as high a coverage as possible in the 2001 census. In recognition, however, that 100% coverage will never be achieved, the one-number census (ONC) project was established to measure the degree of underenumeration in the 2001 census and, if possible, to adjust fully the outputs from the census for that undercount. A key component of this adjustment process is a census coverage survey (CCS). This paper presents an overview of the ONC project, focusing on the design and analysis methodology for the CCS. It also presents results that allow the reader to evaluate the robustness of this methodology.