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PEDAR: Research Methodology A Profile of Participation in Distance Education: 1999-2000
The National Postsecondary Student Aid Study
Accuracy of Estimtes
Data Analysis Systems
Statistical Procedures
Differences Between Means
Adjustment of Means to Control for Background Variation
Executive Summary
References
Full Report (PDF)
Executive Summary (PDF)
Accuracy of Estimates

The statistics in this report are estimates derived from a sample. Two broad categories of error occur in such estimates: sampling and nonsampling errors. Sampling errors occur because observations are made only on samples of students, not entire populations. Nonsampling errors occur not only in sample surveys but also in complete censuses of entire populations. Nonsampling errors can be attributed to a number of sources: inability to obtain complete information about all students in all institutions in the sample (some students or institutions refused to participate, or students participated but answered only certain items); ambiguous definitions; differences in interpreting questions; inability or unwillingness to give correct information; mistakes in recording or coding data; and other errors of collecting, processing, sampling, and imputing missing data

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