Better coverage intervals for estimators from a complex sample survey

Abstract

Coverage intervals for a parameter estimate computed using complex survey data are often constructed by assuming the parameter estimate has an asymptotically normal distribution and the measure of the estimator’s variance is roughly chi-squared. The size of the sample and the nature of the parameter being estimated render this conventional “Wald” methodology dubious in many applications. I developed a revised method of coverage-interval construction that “speeds up the asymptotics” by incorporating an estimated measure of skewness. I discuss how skewness-adjusted intervals can be computed for ratios, differences between domain means, and regression coefficients.