Many problems in statistics and econometrics offer themselves naturally to the use of optimization heuristics. Standard methods applied to highly complex problems often produce approximate results, of unknown quality, based on heavy assumptions. Optimization heuristic methods provide powerful results to many complex problems, combined with relatively simple implementation. The techniques used in optimization heurisitics can be applied to problems encountered in econometrics, statistics and operations research.
* Offers a self-contained introduction to optimization heuristics in...

Survey data are used in many disciplines including Social Sciences, Economics and Psychology. Interviewers behaviour might affect the quality of such data. This book presents the results of new research on interviewers motivation and behaviour. A substantial number of contributions address deviant behaviour, methods for assessing the impact of such behaviour on data quality and tools for detecting faked interviews. Further chapters discuss methods for preventing undesirable interviewer effects. Apart from specific methodological contributions, the chapters of the book also provide a unique...