Statistics and Computational Methods Seminar Series - Fall 2025

Title: A fresh look to Multiple Frame Surveys

Speaker: Fulvia Mecatti (Università degli Studi di Milano Bicocca)

Abstract:

The seminar discusses Multiple Frame Surveys (MFS) from a renewed perspective. It offers a journey through the evolution of their rationale, motivations, and applications, from their first appearance in the literature of the 1960s–1970s to their emerging role in today’s rapidly changing landscape of sampling statistics, new data sources, and evolving analytical needs. This journey highlights the broad potential and practical advantages of MFS compared with traditional surveys, which rely on a single, up-to-date, and complete coverage frame for sample selection. Despite these advantages, the actual use of MFS among practitioners, professionals, and within official statistics remains limited. The seminar explores possible reasons for this and follows the parallel development of MF estimation methods, concluding with a look at recent methodological advances designed to support the practical application of MFS and fully unlock their potential.