Estimation of the Mean Value of a Sensitive Characteristic of a Hidden Gang in a Finite Population: A General Approach

摘要

The randomized response techniques for collecting data on sensitive variables have been in vogue for over four decades now. In this note we introduce a method of randomization that is used to estimate the total and mean value of a stigmatized quantitative characteristic of a sub-group (or hidden gang) in a finite population using a general approach. Furthermore, the proposed method may be useful in estimating the proportion of respondents in the population belonging to the sensitive group. The properties of the proposed estimator are discussed in detail in this paper.