Scientific Coordination
Dr.
Sebastian E. Wenz
Tel: +49 221 47694-159
Sebastian E. Wenz
Tel: +49 221 47694-159
Administrative Coordination
Angelika Ruf
Tel: +49 221 47694-162
Tel: +49 221 47694-162
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Course 9: Applied Multiple Imputation
About
Location:
Cologne
Cologne
General Topics:
Course Level:
Format:
Software used:
Duration:
5 days
Language:
Fees:
Students: 500 €
Academics: 750 €
Commercial: 1500 €
Keywords:
Additional links
Lecturer(s): Dr. Ferdinand Geißler, Prof. Dr. Jan Paul Heisig
Course description
Missing data are a pervasive problem in the social sciences. Data for a given unit may be missing entirely, for example, because a sampled respondent refused to participate in a survey (survey nonresponse). Alternatively, information may be missing only for a subset of variables (item nonresponse), for example, because a respondent refused to answer some of the questions in a survey. The traditional way of dealing with item nonresponse, referred to as “complete case analysis” (CCA) or “listwise deletion”, excludes every observation with missing information from the analysis. While easy to implement, complete case analysis is wasteful and can lead to biased estimates. Multiple imputation (MI) seeks to address these issues and provides more efficient and unbiased estimates when certain conditions are met. Therefore, it is increasingly replacing CCA as the method of choice for dealing with item nonresponse in applied quantitative work in the social sciences.
The goals of the course are to introduce participants to the basic concepts and statistical foundations of missing data analysis and MI, and to enable them to use MI in their own work. The course puts heavy emphasis on the practical application of MI and on the complex decisions and challenges that researchers are facing in its course. The focus is on MI using iterated chained equations (aka “fully conditional specification”) and its implementation in the software package Stata. Participants should have a good working knowledge of Stata to follow the applied parts of the course and to successfully master the exercises. Participants who are not familiar with Stata may still benefit from the course but will likely find the exercises quite challenging.
The detailed syllabus with course times and literature will be available soon.
Target group
Participants will find the course useful if they:
Learning objectives
By the end of the course participants will:
Organizational Structure of the Course
The course will feature four hours of classroom instruction and two hours of hands-on exercises and/or group work each day. Exercises and group work will usually take place in the afternoon and the lecturers will be present to answer questions and provide assistance.
Lecturers will also be available for individual consultations during the group work/exercise sessions. This opportunity could be used to further discuss specific questions and issues that could not be addressed sufficiently in class, including questions that relate to ongoing research projects of participants. Participants interested in individual consultations concerning their ongoing projects are encouraged to contact the lecturers before the course and to provide a short description of the issues they would like to discuss.
Prerequisites
Software and Hardware Requirements
None. This course takes place in a computer lab. GESIS will provide participants with access to the statistical software package used in the course (i.e., Stata). Participants who want to bring their own laptop to follow the examples and work on the exercises need to have a recent version of Stata installed (ideally 13 or higher).
Covid-19 related regulations for on-site classes
Although there are currently no legal requirements due to the Covid-19 pandemic for participation in our on-site training events, we suggest that you adhere to the recommendations given on the following site: https://www.integrationsbeauftragte.de/ib-de/staatsministerin/corona/what-do-you-currently-need-to-know-about-corona-englisch--1876282
Please note that regulations might change on short notice depending on the nationwide or local state of the pandemic. We therefore suggest that you only register for an on-site class, if you are fully vaccinated (according to EU law) by the time the class starts and are willing to wear a mask in the GESIS building and in class.
Participants from abroad should make sure that they understand and fulfill the requirements to enter Germany as summarized on this website.
Please find more general information on our Covid-19 info website and carefully read all emails we send to you. Thank you, stay safe and healthy!