Report on 4th Workshop on Analysis of Incomplete Data (AID), Bamberg, Germany

On June 1st 2011, Prof. Susane Raesssler of the Department of Statistics and Econometrics Otto-Friedrich-University, Bamberg, gathered together many of the world’s leading experts in Missing Data Analysis, including Donald B. Rubin (Harvard University), Trivellore E. Raghunathan (University of Michigan), Nathaniel Schenker ( Center for Disease Control, USA) and many more. The workshop focused on many of the missing data challenges facing statisticians in different areas of research and attempted to suggest some possible solutions to these issues using different forms of multiple imputation.

The first morning session focused on the challenges in Educational and Health Research, with Jutta Von Maurice (University of Bamberg, NEPS) giving a detailed description of the NEPS Project and the missing data issues that have arisen during this very large study. Trivellore E. Raghunathan (University of Michigan), then went on to describe how multiple imputation can be used to reduce the size of questionnaire by employing Split Questionnaire Survey Designs. Nathaniel Schenker (CDC), then described how multiple imputation has been used throughout the CDC for a variety of multiple problems.

After coffee, the next session focused on Missing Data Problems in Complex Situations, when speakers Joerg Drechsler (IAB Inst. for Employment Research), Elizabeth R. Zell (CDC), Stef van Buuren (Utrecht University) and Florian Meinfelder (University of Bamberg) all gave great insights into how they have used multiple imputation.

After lunch, we heard more about the Applications of Incomplete Data Techniques. Volker Bosch (GfK, Nurnberg), Sara Kleyer (University of Bamberg and Christian Assmann (University of Bamberg, NEPS) all outlined serious problems they faced in attempting to analyse incomplete data.

In the final session of the day, Andrew Grannell of Statistical Solutions gave a demo of the new features in SOLAS 4.0 for Missing Data Analysis and showed how some of the problems outlined earlier could have been approached using SOLAS. Finally, the day concluded with detailed remarks from Donald B. Rubin on each of the presentations with suggestions on how to proceed and perhaps improve on approaches taken. He sincerely thanked and congratulated Prof. Raessler for organizing such as worthwhile event and looked forward to next year’s 5th AID Workshop.