Citation URL: http://www.urban.org/FritzScheuren

The 1999 National Survey of America's Families (NSAF), like its 1997 counterpart, is a survey of the economic, health, and social characteristics of children, adults under the age of 65, and their families. NSAF data collection was conducted for the Urban Institute and Child Trends by Westat. Interviews in 1999 were obtained from over 42,000 households, yielding information on more than 109,000 persons under age 65. The scope and design of the 1997 survey was similar, with over 44,000 interviewed households and again about 109,000 nonelderly persons.

This report completes the methodological discussion of 1997 NSAF estimation that was begun in report no. 3 in this series. Here our goal is to describe how we brought the 1997 NSAF up to census undercount-adjusted control totals. In report no. 3, a description was given of the first estimation approaches used for the 1997 survey. (Report no. 3 also explains how we brought the survey up to census-level controls.)

Methodology Report No. 10 focuses on data editing techniques, including data processing, coding guidelines, how data errors were dealt with, and how edits were made including the editing that was done to protect respondent confidentiality. In addition, this report discusses the imputation procedures that were often used when values were missing and explains the impact these imputations will likely have on the estimation of variance.

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