Goodness-of-Fit Statistics for General Linear Regression Equations in the Presence of Replicated Responses

Goodness-of-fit statistics for general multiple-linear-regression equations are reviewed for the case of replicated responses. A modification of the coefficient of determination is recommended. This statistic has 1.0 as its achievable upper bound and has the coefficient of determination as a special case. It indicates more effectively how close a general-linear-regression equation is relative to the best possible one and is particularly useful when the purpose is to ascertain whether higher-order terms of a given set of explanatory variables are required. Other goodness-of-fit statistics that take into account the variation within replicated responses are reviewed. An illustration example is presented.     

Improvement of contraception during the course of marriage

Contraceptive effectiveness is conventionally measured by a pregnancy rate, which reveals little about the way in which pregnancy risks vary among couples. In this paper a technique is presented for estimating curves of pregnancy risk. The technique is applied to data from the Family Growth in Metropolitan America study for purposes of estimating how much these couples would have to Improve their initial contraception In order to realize, by contraception alone, the calibre of family limitation claimed by respondents late in their childbearing period. A very substantial improvement Is estimated as necessary.

It Is also argued that the notable increase In contraceptive effectiveness before and after second birth, observed for couples desiring only two children is attributable mainly to a more regular practice of contraception. Changes Iin method preference, decline in average fecundabillty and increased contraceptive skill are viewed as secondary factors.     

Epistemological inclusiveness in researching the African American community

Abstract

African American communities have experienced negative effects from a history of medical abuse, lack of proper research procedures, and misinterpretations of study findings because of racism. These past injustices have led to a mistrust of research and researchers. This paper focuses on how some methodological challenges, in a study funded by a National Institutes of Health grant on two low-income African American communities in Kentucky, were mediated through the collaboration of a multi-racial/ethnic team of researchers engaged in cross-disciplinary research. The information for this paper is based on the reflections of key members of the research team. The reflections show that having researchers with different epistemologies resulted in a culturally aware and sensitive study in which emic and etic research approaches were adopted. The inclusion of race-based epistemologies and close community ties were found to be particularly useful in building trust and getting the support of the two communities. However, these outcomes were only possible because research team members provided each other latitude for intellectual freedom and leadership.     

The publishing of recent economics Ph.D. recipients

We present publication data for recent graduates of 50 economics Ph.D. programs. The data show that publishing output is highly concentrated among graduates of the top programs; the top three programs, for example, generate more than 25% of aggregate publishing output in our sample. We use the data to construct a set of program rankings based on both per capita and aggregate graduate publication and a comparison of faculty performance to graduate performance. The graduate/faculty comparison reveals that programs may be identical in the output of their faculties but starkly different in the output of their graduates.     

The victimization experiences of women in the workforce: moving beyond single categories of work or violence

The examination of the co-occurrence of different types of victimization in the lives of women in the workforce appears infrequently in the literature. We examine multiple types of victimization in women's lives across a range of employment and income levels. Our research indicates that more than two-thirds of women in the workplace experienced at least one type of violence against women (VAW). These women hold positions at various workforce levels, indicating that victims of VAW are not limited to the lower employment rungs. This research is a step toward highlighting the scope, prevalence, and interconnectedness of different forms of VAW in the lives of women in the workforce.     

Methodological issues underlying multiple decrement life table analysis

In this paper, the actuarial method of multiple decrement life table analysis of censored, longitudinal data is examined. The discussion is organized in terms of the first segment of usage of an intrauterine device. Weaknesses of the actuarial approach are pointed out, and an alternative approach, based on the classical model of competing risks, is proposed. Finally, the actuarial and the alternative method of analyzing censored data are compared, using data from the Taichung Medical Study on Intrauterine Devices.     

Family planning and fecundity

Abstract A computerized probability model of family-building, FERMOD, is described and then utilized in an investigation of relations between family planning and fecundity as applying to white couples of the contemporary United States. Models of this type that formulate reproductive performance as a stochastic process permit one to explore relations that are not directly observable and in this manner to secure at least partial answers to questions not subject to investigation by survey research alone. Two main questions are addressed concerning the dependence of family planning success upon fecundity: (1) How quickly does spacing control deteriorate when natural fecundability is taken at progressively lower values or when the risk of pregnancy wastage is set at progressively higher values? (2) What is the distribution of unsought births among couples of average fecundity when they practise contraception with specified effectiveness and have stipulated spacing and family size goals?     

Rethinking measures of migration: On the decomposition of net migration

The purpose of this paper is to “resurrect” the measure of net migration and defend its continued use under specific research circumstances, despite the current dissatisfaction with the measure as expressed by some scholars. We employ data from the 1980 Census of Population to compare five measures of migration, including net migration rates, in- and out-migration rates, migration efficiency ratios and migration turnover rates. We demonstrate the additivity of in- and out-migration rates with net migration rates and migration turnover rates. Also, we show how the migration efficiency ratio and turnover rates are conceptually and mathematically related. Finally, a simple multivariate model is estimated to show how regression coefficients from in-and out-migration rate models are related to net migration and migration turnover rates.