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Selection Bias Encountered in the Systematic Linking of Historical Census Records

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 July 2020

Luiza Antonie ,
Kris Inwood Open the ORCID record for Kris Inwood [Opens in a new window] ,
Chris Minns  and
Fraser Summerfield
Luiza Antonie
Affiliation:
School of Computer Science, University of Guelph
Kris Inwood*
Affiliation:
Department of Economics and Finance, University of Guelph Department of History, University of Guelph
Chris Minns
Affiliation:
Department of Economic History, London School of Economics and Political Science
Fraser Summerfield
Affiliation:
Department of Economics, St Francis Xavier University
*
*Email: kinwood@uoguelph.ca
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Abstract

Linked historical records typically are unrepresentative of the population from which they are drawn even if the method of linking is restricted to time-invariant matching criteria. An example drawn from Canadian census records illustrates the nature of bias that may afflict even a carefully linked sample. The use of potentially time-varying match criteria doubles the size of a linked sample at a modest cost in terms of additional bias. This trade-off is attractive for some research purposes if care is taken in the uses to which the data are put. Reweighting to mitigate the effects of bias in visible characteristics is desirable.

Type
Special Issue Article
Information
Social Science History , Volume 44 , Special Issue 3: Selection Bias and Social Science History , Fall 2020 , pp. 555 - 570
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Social Science History Association

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