Improving the Design of the Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System (SESTAT)

by National Research Council, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, Committee on National Statistics, Committee to Review the 2000 Decade Design of the Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System

Overview

The past decade has demonstrated the utility of SESTAT, but the SESTAT design shows some deficiencies with respect to response rates, coverage of populations of interest, and its ability to support some useful analyses. To tackle those deficiencies, NSF has proposed three possible design options for improving the database and asked the National Research Council's Committee on National Statistics (CNSTAT) to form the Committee to Review the 2000 Decade Design of the SESTAT.

This is the report of that committee. It presents our understanding of the purposes and characteristics of the SESTAT, applies the criteria we believe are important for assessing design options for the database, provides our recommendation for the best approach to adopt in the 2000 decade, and offers our encouragement to NSF to pursue opportunities to improve the understanding of the numbers and characteristics of scientists and engineers in the United States.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780309087117
Publisher:	National Academies Press
Publication date:	03/11/2003
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.20(d)

Table of Contents

	Preface	vii
	Executive Summary	1
	Introduction	3
	Scope of SESTAT	5
	The National Survey of College Graduates	6
	The National Survey of Recent College Graduates	7
	The Survey of Doctorate Recipients	7
	Types of Information Contained in SESTAT	8
	Population Coverage of the Current SESTAT Sample Frame	10
	Sestat 2000 Decade Design Options	15
	2000 Census Frame Option: New NSCG Survey Based on 2000 Census	18
	1990 Census Frame Option: A Continuation of the 1990s Panels	18
	Hybrid Option	19
	Evaluation of the Design Options	20
	Evaluation Criteria	20
	Comparison of the 2000 and 1990 Census Frame Options	21
	Comparison of the 2000 Census Frame Option and the Hybrid Option	23
	Conclusions and Recommendations	26
	Choice Among Design Options	26
	Emphasis on Data Quality	28
	Coverage of Relevant Populations	29
	Planning Expanded SRS Activities and Greater Interaction with Colleagues	29
	References	31
Appendix	Agenda, SESTAT Workshop, July 9, 2002	33