Adaptive Cluster Sampling in Two‐stage Sampling

Adaptive cluster sampling can be a useful design for surveying rare and clustered populations. Here we present a new development in adaptive cluster sampling where we use a two‐stage design and extend the complete allocation sampling method. In the proposed new design the primary sample units are selected and, depending on the value of a preset condition, the entire primary unit is surveyed, as in complete allocation sampling. In the next step, if a second condition is met, the surrounding primary sample units are selected. We review the efficiency of the proposed design for sampling the New Zealand Castle Hill buttercups and provide unbiased estimators for the population total and sampling variance.     

Adaptive sampling without replacement of clusters

In a common form of adaptive cluster sampling, an initial sample of units is selected by random sampling without replacement and, whenever the observed value of the unit is sufficiently high, its neighboring units are added to the sample, with the process of adding neighbors repeated if any of the added units are also high valued. In this way, an initial selection of a high-valued unit results in the addition of the entire network of surrounding high-valued units and some low-valued “edge” units where sampling stops. Repeat selections can occur when more than one initially selected unit is in the same network or when an edge unit is shared by more than one added network. Adaptive sampling without replacement of networks avoids some of this repeat selection by sequentially selecting initial sample units only from the part of the population not already in any selected network. The design proposed in this paper carries this step further by selecting initial units only from the population, exclusive of any previously selected networks or edge units.     

Using adaptive line-transect sampling in airborne geophysics studies

We introduce a design that combines elements from distance and adaptive cluster sampling designs. We propose a line-transect sampling method, where the sample-strips are selected by unequal selection probabilities, detectability of clusters is assumed imperfect and detectability of sample units belonging to each detected cluster is assumed perfect. Here, the application of distance sampling is broaden to airborne geophysics studies. We introduce efficient estimators for this new sample design. Also, we conduct two simulation studies. One of the populations is Sar Cheshmeh Copper mine with data from an airborne geophysics study and the other is an artificial population.     

The estimation of wildlife ungulate abundance using sample area surveys: an application to Maremma Regional Park

Sample surveys for estimating the abundance of wildlife ungulate populations are considered in a design-based approach. On the basis of previous theoretical results, a two-stage sampling is proposed. In the first stage, some spatial units are selected using Lahiri-Midzuno sampling, while in the second stage, the animal abundance in the selected units is estimated by means of plot sampling performed on the faecal accumulation within the units. The statistical properties of the resulting ratio estimator of abundance are outlined. An application of the proposed method for estimating fallow-deer and roe-deer abundance in Maremma Regional Park is described.     

A Comparison Of Two Adaptive Sampling Designs

Stratified sampling is a technique commonly used for ecological surveys. In this study there appears to be little gain in using a stratified design with adaptive cluster sampling. Two-phase adaptive sampling is preferable to adaptive cluster sampling. Even though two-phase adaptive sampling can give biased estimates, it is found that two-phase adaptive sampling has a lower MSE than adaptive cluster sampling for most populations.     

Sample-size-restrictive adaptive sampling: an application in estimating localized elements

In sample surveys sometimes one encounters a situation where, for many sampling units, one or more variables of interest are valued zero or negligibly low while for some other units they are substantial because of heavy localization of the high-valued units in certain segments. Estimation may then be inaccurate if a chosen sample fails to capture enough of the high-valued units. In such situations, adaptive sampling, as an extension of the initial sample to capture additional high-valued units, may be more serviceable. However, the size of an adaptive sample may often far exceed that of the initial sample. In this paper we present a method to put desirable constraints on the adaptive sample-size to keep the latter in check. To examine the efficacy of this method, we illustrate its application to estimate total numbers of rural earners through specific vocations in a given district in India simultaneously for several vocations.     

Inverse Adaptive Cluster Sampling with Unequal Selection Probabilities: Case Studies on Crab Holes and Arsenic Pollution

Adaptive cluster sampling is an efficient method of estimating the parameters of rare and clustered populations. The method mimics how biologists would like to collect data in the field by targeting survey effort to localised areas where the rare population occurs. Another popular sampling design is inverse sampling. Inverse sampling was developed so as to be able to obtain a sample of rare events having a predetermined size. Ideally, in inverse sampling, the resultant sample set will be sufficiently large to ensure reliable estimation of population parameters. In an effort to combine the good properties of these two designs, adaptive cluster sampling and inverse sampling, we introduce inverse adaptive cluster sampling with unequal selection probabilities. We develop an unbiased estimator of the population total that is applicable to data obtained from such designs. We also develop numerical approximations to this estimator. The efficiency of the estimators that we introduce is investigated through simulation studies based on two real populations: crabs in Al Khor, Qatar and arsenic pollution in Kurdistan, Iran. The simulation results show that our estimators are efficient.     

Unbiased estimators for restricted adaptive cluster sampling

In adaptive cluster sampling the size of the final sample is random, thus creating design problems. To get round this, Brown (1994) and Brown & Manly (1998) proposed a modification of the method, placing a restriction on the size of the sample, and using standard but biased estimators for estimating the population mean. But in this paper a new unbiased estimator and an unbiased variance estimator are proposed, based on estimators proposed by Murthy (1957) and extended to sequential and adaptive sampling designs by Salehi & Seber (2001). The paper also considers a restricted version of the adaptive scheme of Salehi & Seber (1997a) in which the networks are selected without replacement, and obtains unbiased estimators. The method is demonstrated by a simple example. Using simulation from this example, the new estimators are shown to compare very favourably with the standard biased estimators.     

Multilevel modelling of complex survey data

Summary.  Multilevel modelling is sometimes used for data from complex surveys involving multistage sampling, unequal sampling probabilities and stratification. We consider generalized linear mixed models and particularly the case of dichotomous responses. A pseudolikelihood approach for accommodating inverse probability weights in multilevel models with an arbitrary number of levels is implemented by using adaptive quadrature. A sandwich estimator is used to obtain standard errors that account for stratification and clustering. When level 1 weights are used that vary between elementary units in clusters, the scaling of the weights becomes important. We point out that not only variance components but also regression coefficients can be severely biased when the response is dichotomous. The pseudolikelihood methodology is applied to complex survey data on reading proficiency from the American sample of the 'Program for international student assessment' 2000 study, using the Stata program gllamm which can estimate a wide range of multilevel and latent variable models. Performance of pseudo-maximum-likelihood with different methods for handling level 1 weights is investigated in a Monte Carlo experiment. Pseudo-maximum-likelihood estimators of (conditional) regression coefficients perform well for large cluster sizes but are biased for small cluster sizes. In contrast, estimators of marginal effects perform well in both situations. We conclude that caution must be exercised in pseudo-maximum-likelihood estimation for small cluster sizes when level 1 weights are used.     

Design effect of randomized systematic sampling

In statistical practice, systematic sampling (SYS) is used in many modifications due to its simple handling. In addition, SYS may provide efficiency gains if it is well adjusted to the structure of the population under study. However, if SYS is based on an inappropriate picture of the population a high decrease of efficiency, i.e. a high increase in variance may result by changing from simple random sampling to SYS. In the context of two-stage designs SYS so far seems often in use for subsampling within the primary units. As an alternative to this practice, we propose to randomize the order of the primary units, then to select systematically a number of primary units and, thereafter, to draw secondary units by simple random sampling without replacement within the primary units selected. This procedure is more efficient than simple random sampling with replacement from the whole population of all secondary units, i.e. the variance of an adequate estimator for a total is never increased by changing from simple random sampling to randomized SYS whatever be the values associated by a characteristic with the secondary units, while there are values for which the variance decreases for the change mentioned. This result should hold generally, even if our proof, so far, is not complete for general sample sizes.     

Finite population corrections for multivariate Bayes sampling

We consider the adjustment, based upon a sample of size n, of collections of vectors drawn from either an infinite or finite population. The vectors may be judged to be either normally distributed or, more generally, second-order exchangeable. We develop the work of Goldstein and Wooff (1998) to show how the familiar univariate finite population corrections (FPCs) naturally generalise to individual quantities in the multivariate population. The types of information we gain by sampling are identified with the orthogonal canonical variable directions derived from a generalised eigenvalue problem. These canonical directions share the same co-ordinate representation for all sample sizes and, for equally defined individuals, all population sizes enabling simple comparisons between both the effects of different sample sizes and of different population sizes. We conclude by considering how the FPC is modified for multivariate cluster sampling with exchangeable clusters. In univariate two-stage cluster sampling, we may decompose the variance of the population mean into the sum of the variance of cluster means and the variance of the cluster members within clusters. The first term has a FPC relating to the sampling fraction of clusters, the second term has a FPC relating to the sampling fraction of cluster size. We illustrate how this generalises in the multivariate case. We decompose the variance into two terms: the first relating to multivariate finite population sampling of clusters and the second to multivariate finite population sampling within clusters. We solve two generalised eigenvalue problems to show how to generalise the univariate to the multivariate: each of the two FPCs attaches to one, and only one, of the two eigenbases.     

Adaptive web sampling in ecology

Adaptive sampling strategies for ecological and environmental studies are described in this paper. The motivations for adaptive sampling are discussed. Developments in this area over recent decades are reviewed. Adaptive cluster sampling and a number of its variations are described. The newer class of adaptive web sampling designs and their spatial sampling uses are discussed. Case studies in the use of adaptive sampling strategies with ecological populations are cited. The nature of optimal sampling strategies is described. Design-based and model-based approaches to inference with adaptive sampling strategies are summarized.     

Generalized estimator for the estimation of rare and clustered population variance in adaptive cluster sampling

Adaptive cluster sampling (ACS) is considered to be the most suitable sampling design for the estimation of rare, hidden, clustered and hard-to-reach population units. The main characteristic of this design is that it may select more meaningful samples and provide more efficient estimates for the field investigator as compare to the other conventional sampling designs. In this paper, we proposed a generalized estimator with a single auxiliary variable for the estimation of rare, hidden and highly clustered population variance under ACS design. The expressions of approximate bias and mean square error are derived and the efficiency comparisons have been made with other existing estimators. A numerical study is carried out on a real population of aquatic birds together with an artificial population generated by Poisson cluster process. Related results of numerical study show that the proposed generalized variance estimator is able to provide considerably better results over the competing estimators.     

An extension of Horvitz–Thompson estimator used in adaptive cluster sampling to continuous universe

In this paper, an extension of Horvitz–Thompson estimator used in adaptive cluster sampling to continuous universe is developed. Main new results are presented in theorems. The primary notions of discrete population are transferred to continuous population. First and second order inclusion probabilities for networks are delivered. Horvitz–Thompson estimator for adaptive cluster sampling in continuous universe is constructed. The unbiasedness of the estimator is proven. Variance and unbiased variance estimator are delivered. Finally, the theory is illustrated with an example.     

适应性区群抽样：研究流动农民工的方法与实践

 抽样难是对农民工主流群体研究稀少的原因之一,农民工具有聚集性和流动性,总体不明使得常规抽样方法抽样成本高效率低,适应性区群抽样能更经济高效地获得可进行统计推断的样本。本文以北京市城八区的农民工抽样为例,介绍了适应性区群抽样方法的基本原理、主要操作步骤、权重计算、统计推断,以及在实际操作中应注意的若干问题。     

EXACT INFERENCE FOR FAMILY DISEASE CLUSTERS

In many epidemiologic studies the first indication of an environmental or genetic contribution to the risk of disease is the way in which the diseased cases cluster within the same family units. The concept of clustering is contrasted with incidence. We assume that all individuals within the same family are independent, up to their disease status. This assumption is used to provide an exact test of the initial hypothesis of no familial link with the disease, conditional on the number of diseased cases and the sizes of the various family units. Ascertainment bias is described and the appropriate sampling distribution is demonstrated. Two numerical examples with published data illustrate these methods.     

Optimum multivariate stratified double sampling design: Chebyshev's Goal Programming approach

In stratified sampling when strata weights are unknown a double sampling technique may be used to estimate them. A large simple random sample from the unstratified population is drawn and units falling in each stratum are recorded. A stratified random sample is then selected and simple random subsamples are obtained out of the previously selected units of the strata. This procedure is called double sampling for stratification. If the problem of non-response is there, then subsamples are divided into classes of respondents and non-respondents. A second subsample is then obtained out of the non-respondents and an attempt is made to obtain the information by increasing efforts, persuasion and call backs. In this paper, the problem of obtaining a compromise allocation in multivariate stratified random sampling is discussed when strata weights are unknown and non-response is present. The problem turns out to be a multiobjective non-linear integer programming problem. An approximation of the problem to an integer linear programming problem by linearizing the non-linear objective functions at their individual optima is worked out. Chebyshev's goal programming technique is then used to solve the approximated problem. A numerical example is also presented to exhibit the practical application of the developed procedure.     

A general inverse sampling scheme and its application to adaptive cluster sampling

Not having a variance estimator is a seriously weak point of a sampling design from a practical perspective. This paper provides unbiased variance estimators for several sampling designs based on inverse sampling, both with and without an adaptive component. It proposes a new design, which is called the general inverse sampling design, that avoids sampling an infeasibly large number of units. The paper provide estimators for this design as well as its adaptive modification. A simple artificial example is used to demonstrate the computations. The adaptive and non‐adaptive designs are compared using simulations based on real data sets. The results indicate that, for appropriate populations, the adaptive version can have a substantial variance reduction compared with the non‐adaptive version. Also, adaptive general inverse sampling with a limitation on the initial sample size has a greater variance reduction than without the limitation.     

Adaptive cluster sampling with a data driven stopping rule

The adaptive cluster sampling (ACS) is a suitable sampling design for rare and clustered populations. In environmental and ecological applications, biological populations are generally animals or plants with highly patchy spatial distribution. However, ACS would be a less efficient design when the study population is not rare with low aggregation since the final sample size could be easily out of control. In this paper, a new variant of ACS is proposed in order to improve the performance (in term of precision and cost) of ACS versus simple random sampling (SRS). The idea is to detect the optimal sample size by means of a data-driven stopping rule in order to determine when to stop the adaptive procedure. By introducing a stopping rule the theoretical basis of ACS are not respected and the behaviour of the ordinary estimators used in ACS is explored by using Monte Carlo simulations. Results show that the proposed variant of ACS allows to control the effective sample size and to prevent from excessive efficiency loss typical of ACS when the population is less clustered than anticipated. The proposed strategy may be recommended especially when no prior information about the population structure is available as it does not require a prior knowledge of the degree of rarity and clustering of the population of interest.     

Adjusting the bias of adaptive sampling estimators of spatial dispersion indexes by the δ-method

It is common practice to investigate the spatial dispersion in a community of discrete individuals (like animals or plants). Usually, the study area is partitioned into spatial units of equal size and then the relationship between the first two moments of the variable representing the number of individuals in each plot is investigated. When the points are spread over a very wide area so that the population density is low but many points are concentrated inside a few units, then a suitable sample method for estimating the first two moments is adaptive sampling. However, since the more common dispersion indexes are non linear function of the first two moments, the resulting estimators are biased for finite samples. Accordingly, a procedure to adjust bias is required for small samples. In this paper a δ-method evaluation of the bias is proposed and the asymptotic distribution of the bias-corrected estimators is provided. Finally, a simulation study is performed in order to investigate the performance of the proposed procedure.