Open research questions in Census and Population Estimation
114 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 1,136 Census and Population Estimation papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.
What the literature leaves open
The development of new methods for analyzing population registers. The evaluation of the quality of population registers as a source. The identification of the need to develop ways of evaluating the accuracy of population registers using internal and external evidence.
Report and Summary: “Conference on Methods for Using Population Registers in Historical Research” Umeå University, Sweden August 12—17, 1984 · 1985 · DOIThe need to develop ways of evaluating the accuracy of population registers using internal and external evidence. The lack of theoretical literature about record linkage in situations where multiple sources are linked together.
Report and Summary: “Conference on Methods for Using Population Registers in Historical Research” Umeå University, Sweden August 12—17, 1984 · 1985 · DOIFurther testing of Jackson's method is needed. The method should be applied to real-world data. The effects of high levels of movement should be further studied.
The problem of confounding death and emigration in mark-recapture data is not adequately addressed. Jackson's method is proposed as a solution to this problem.
The need for population projections that can be used for planning purposes. The lack of user-friendly programs for population projections. The importance of evaluating the significance of the output.
Further research could explore the application of the technique to real-world populations. Further research could investigate the limitations of the technique in detail.
The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of the capture/recapture technique. The paper highlights the need for repeated sampling for reliable estimates.
The paper suggests that future research should focus on injecting more standardization into the analysis of results of reconstitution studies. The paper also suggests that future research should explore the complementarity of aggregate, regional, and local case studies.
The paper identifies a gap in the field of historical demography, noting that the attempt to summarize the current state of local and regional studies may impose a false aura of homogeneity on what remains an exuberantly heterodox field. The paper also notes that there is a need for more standardization in the analysis of results of reconstitution studies.
The paper suggests that a similar analysis could be done for the 1990 or 1985 census. The paper suggests that benefit-cost analysis could be used for other types of data programs.
The paper identifies the need for explicit consideration of benefits and costs to determine how much to spend on public data. The paper identifies the lack of benefit-cost analysis for data programs as a gap.
The paper identifies a gap in the literature regarding the relative power of the Wilcoxon statistic and the t test under non-normal conditions. The study aims to fill this gap by providing a comprehensive comparison of the power of the two tests.
Future research could explore the use of the Soundex system for other types of research. Future research could also explore the limitations of the Soundex system.
the conference ICME IV will discuss the nature of probability and statistics to be taught at the school level
The official criminal statistics are limited. The actual and ideal data on crime statistics may differ significantly. The estimates of crime statistics are based on fact, informed judgment, and guesswork.
The paper identifies the limitation of official criminal statistics as a research gap. The gap between the actual and ideal data on crime statistics is highlighted.
There is a lack of documentation on the accuracy of extrapolative methods for population projections. More sophisticated methods are not feasible due to constraints of data, time, funds, and expertise.
To confirm the validity of the assumptions of the method theoretically. To interpret the ecological meaning of the parameters. To apply the method in various fields such as ecology and conservation biology.
The need for a general method of applying multi-stage sampling for population estimation. The lack of formulae for efficient application of the method.
The lack of a short and elementary proof of the formula for the standard error of the mean in the finite population case. The lack of a short and elementary proof of the formula for the standard error of the difference between the means of two samples from a single finite population.
The normality assumption underlying r is often considered a critical factor in sociological analysis, but its effects have not been thoroughly examined. Prior work has established the robustness of the F and t distributions to the normality assumption, but the robustness of r itself is unclear.
The complexity of analyzing population distribution and its relationship to economic activity and transportation systems. The need to consider the spatial arrangement of units with particular density scores.
POPULATION CONCENTRATION AND DISPERSION IN AUSTRALIAN STATES: A MACROGEOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS · 1973 · DOIFurther analysis of the relationship between population distribution and economic activity and transportation systems. Examination of the impact of external factors, such as national economic trends, on population concentration and dispersion.
POPULATION CONCENTRATION AND DISPERSION IN AUSTRALIAN STATES: A MACROGEOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS · 1973 · DOIThe study does not address the limitations of path analysis in cross-national epidemiological research. The study does not provide a comprehensive review of the literature on the ecological fallacy.
Future research should address the limitations of path analysis in cross-national epidemiological research. Future research should explore the use of other methods to make causal inferences in epidemiological research.
Most-cited papers in Census and Population Estimation
- An Appraisal of Techniques with a New Hemispheric Estimate · Current Anthropology · 1966 · 215 citations
- Automated Linking of Historical Data · Journal of Economic Literature · 2021 · 145 citations
- Theory Testing in a World of Constrained Research Design · Sociological Methods & Research · 1990 · 139 citations
- A new strategy for linking U.S. historical censuses: A case study for the IPUMS multigenerational longitudinal panel · Historical Methods A Journal of Quantitative and Interdisciplinary History · 2021 · 53 citations
- Applications of Multiple Systems Estimation in Human Rights Research · The American Statistician · 2013 · 44 citations
- Population Forecast Errors · Journal of Planning Education and Research · 2008 · 43 citations
- The Curious Case of the Cross-Sectional Correlation · Multivariate Behavioral Research · 2023 · 39 citations
- Has demography witnessed a data revolution? Promises and pitfalls of a changing data ecosystem · Population Studies · 2021 · 36 citations
- Nordic registry data: value, validity and future · Scandinavian Journal of Public Health · 2020 · 31 citations
- New Evaluations of Simple Models for Small Area Population Forecasts · Population Space and Place · 2014 · 27 citations
Most recent work
- From national statistical office to state data agency: The Lithuanian experience as a test case for NSO-led data governance · Statistical Journal of the IAOS · 2026
- R-package Jsmm: Joint species movement modelling of mark-recapture data · bioRxiv · 2026
- Regional Statistics · Regional Statistics · 2026
- Rationale and Methodologies for Surveying Vulnerable Neighborhoods: Lessons From Three Nordic Countries · Sociological Methods & Research · 2026
- On the stock structure bias of the space-time fidelity of mark-recapture studies · bioRxiv · 2026
- Estimation of exponential rates in non-homogeneous populations using the EAIR estimator · Journal of Biopharmaceutical Statistics · 2026
- Developing the Norwegian quality system for official statistics · Statistical Journal of the IAOS · 2026
- Assessing the cohort-component method in Australia’s official small area population estimates · Journal of Population Research · 2026
- Report from the 34th Scientific Conference of the Classification and Data Analysis Section of the Polish Statistical Association · Przegląd Statystyczny Statistical Review · 2026
- Survey sampling in wartime: addressing challenges for cross-national and longitudinal studies · Statistics in Transition New Series · 2026
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