The Evaluation of the Accuracy of Survey Results: Some Canadian Experiences

Summary The paper summarizes the four objectives of survey evaluation programme: to measure the accuracy of survey results in order to guide users; to analyse sources of error with a view to subsequent improvement; to evaluate alternative methods of survey design; to institute, in the case of a regular, periodic survey, a continuing control procedure. Much of the paper is devoted to the summarization of concrete Canadian experiences with respect to the evaluation of different specific sources of error: sampling errors, coverage errors, response errors, non-response errors, processing errors.