Optimal Design of Rotating Panels in a Simple Analysis of Variance Model

摘要

The paper considers the estimation of linear combinations of period means from rotating panels (i.e., samples with partial replacement of units) in a simple analysis of variance model. Results from spectral theory are used to obtain manageable expressions for an efficient estimator of the parameters and its variance. Conditions on the relative sample size are derived under which one rotation scheme will yield more efficient estimators than another of the period means themselves, of differences, or of averages of means. Conditions under which one rotation scheme will preferable to another irrespective of the parameter of interest are presented. Results are given for the case in which one is interested in estimates of the means in recent periods as well as the case of estimation of means in a more distinct past.