--%>
Assignment Help - homework help

What is Imperfect data

Imperfect data: Most studies start with imperfect data. Few datasets involve the entire population of interest.

Typically, the data has been gathered by others for specific purposes, and as such may have built in biases or representational problems. As a consumer of analytical research, you should be looking for whether the authors properly describe the source of their data and any connected limitations imposed by that source. Surveys of populations will frequently report their confidence intervals. At either the national level or at the economy wide or sectoral level of analysis, data often has relatively small confidence intervals across space and over time.

As the data is subdivided to represent subsets of the source population (e.g., the Labour Force Survey unemployment rate in manufacturing in Saskatchewan vs. the unemployment rate for Canada as a whole), the confidence intervals will widen significantly. The level of confidence may widen to the point where differences of ± 10% to 20% may not be statistically significant. Authors should carefully consider the provenance and reliability of their data.

A second problem is that quite often authors report that they have “cleaned” a dataset – e.g., dropped outliers in panel data or lopped off tips or tails of longitudinal data. Any time you hear this, your antennae should go up. Cleaning data should be done very carefully and any changes in data should be fully discussed and analyzed, rather than simply accepted.

   Related Questions in Microeconomics

  • Q : Problem on Normal and Inferior Goods

    Lobster is a normal good and peanut butter is a poorer good. When your income increases, you will most likely consume: (1) More of both the goods. (2) More lobster and less peanut butter. (3) More peanut butter and less lobster. (4) Less of both goods.

    Q : Problem on decrease in demand for goods

    For normal luxuries and goods, decreases in income tend to cause the: (i) Market prices to increase. (ii) Raises in quantities demanded. (iii) A reduction in demand for goods. (iv) Demand curves to shift to right. What is the right

    		•
  • Q : Market in terms of economists To

    To economists, the noun ‘market’ signifies to: (1) The geographic place where many products are sold. (2) Any institution which enables sellers and buyers to strike bargains. (3) The New York Stock Exchange. (4) Selling goods and resources or stocks and bo

    		•
  • Q : Effect of decreases price ceiling on a

    A government decrease of the price ceiling upon a good will: (w) result in a decrease into the excess demand for the good. (x) result within an increase in the excess demand for the good. (y) lead to a greater quantity supplied. (z) cause a reduction

    		•
  • Q : Problem on Rate of Exploitation The

    The difference among the value of marginal product of the labor and average wage rate will tend to be maximum when a firm: (i) Joins significant market power in output market and monopsony power in the labor market, however does not wage discriminate. (ii) Is a pure c

    		•
  • Q : Linear demand curves and elasticity

    When price falls along a negatively sloped, there straight-line demand curve, then slope: (w) is constant, and elasticity of demand falls. (x) and elasticity of demand both rise. (y) falls, and elasticity of demand rises. (z) rises, and elasticity of

    		•
  • Q : Monopolies in the short run Monopolies

    Monopolies tend to shut down in the short run when: (1) price is less than the minimum of average total costs [ATC]. (2) price cannot cover all overhead costs. (3) potential revenue cannot cover total variable costs. (4) total costs exceed total reven

    		•
  • Q : Problem on Monopolistic Competition

    When fifty fast-food restaurants belonging to fourteen various chains are strung along an eight mile stretch of highway, it is an illustration of: (1) a primitive cartel. (2) pure competition. (3) monopolistic competition. (4) an oligopoly.

    Q : Illustration of zero Consumer Surpluses

    Clark pays $99.95 for the latest fishing rod. When Clark was willing to pay just a maximum of $99.95 for that fishing rod, his consumer surplus equivalents: (1) zero. (2) Clark would not be willing to buy the fishing rod at $99.95. (3) $99.95. (4) Clark would be bette

    		•
  • Q : Problem on Agency Shop The union

    The union strategy which prevents the non-union employees of the firm from being free riders is to negotiate a contract which needs the firm to be a/an: (i) Agency shop. (ii) Open shop. (iii) Collective bargaining shop. (iv) Closed shop. (v) Union shop.