I’m doing a nonresponse analysis using the ATUS-CPS dataset including both the respondent and non-respondents of ATUS. In this circumstance, I’m only applying a base weight.
However, I find that there are many 0 in BWT. Here is how I construct an indicator variable and cross-tabulate it with year. In 2004-2006 and 2008-2009, nearly half of the weights are equal to 0.
When I investigate on these years that contain weight ‘0’, I find they correspond with the non-respondents in those survey years.
(‘C’ is “complete interviews” which represent a respondent while the others are all non-respondents, not eligible or unknown eligibility)
Suspecting it is an error from the original dataset, I downloaded the ATUS-CPS data file from the website of Bureau of Labor Statistics and found no 0 value in the base weight variable (TUBWGT) from 2003-2018.
I wonder if it might come from any coding error or processing error when IPUMS harmonized the data?
Thanks!
It looks like this observation is due to a small error. There are two variables in the input data the come from two different source files (e.g., the respondent file and the weights file). The respondent file only contains information about respondents while the weights file contains weights for non-respondents as well. In all years we should be pulling the BWT source variable from the weights file. This is a relatively easy fix. The IPUMS Time Use Team hopes to get this out by next week at the latest.
We like to reward uses who bring errors such as this to our attention with an IPUMS coffee mug. To claim yours, email ipums@umn.edu with your mailing address. I will have a mug mailed to you as soon as possible.
Hi Jeff,
Great to hear that and I’m very pleased with an offer to have IPUMS product.
However, I’ve already got an IPUMS mug from Matthew Bombyk last month when I caught an error in IPUMS CPS. Is there any other type of IPUMS souvenir? Seems I can start a IPUMS collection haha.
Thanks!
Ah, okay. Thanks for all of your help! We only give out the mugs.
This is just a follow up note to say that this fix is now online.
