An assessment of empirical Bayes and composite estimators
for small areas
N.T. Longford
Abstract
We compare several empirical Bayes and composite estimators
of the population means of the districts (small areas or counties),
and show that the natural modelling strategy of searching
for a well fitting empirical Bayes model and using it for estimating
the area-level means can be inefficient.
Statistical Modelling 10, 137-157; March 2011