[Babase] MEMBERS comparison - Karl question
Catherine Markham
babase@www.eco.princeton.edu
Tue, 27 Sep 2005 11:11:47 -0400
Karl,
I have a question for you about MEMBERS interpolation regarding death
dates. The documentation states the following:
"... 14 day interpolation limit applies when the individual is dead.
When there are no absences after the last census and there are more than
14 days between the last census and the Statdate the individual is
placed in the unknown group from the 15th day through the day of death."
That makes sense to me, but I don't think I had also consciously
considered the other way an individual can be placed in Group 9 on the
death date - it didn't occur to me until looking into the records for ATO.
ATO is a female censused in Weaver's group as present on 25 May 2001 and
absent on the next group census day on 29 May 2001 (this absence was
entered in CENSUS). Her death date is 27 May 2001. The old MEMBERS
placed her in Weaver's group on this day, the new MEMBERS places her in
the unknown group on this day. The new MEMBERS is looking at the
absence on 29 May 2001 no differently than it would for, say, any male
who disappears from a study group - it essentially considers ATO's group
to be 9 on the 29th. So it turns out that the 27th is a perfect
mid-point between presence in Weaver's and placement in Group 9. This
makes the day's group placement more or less a coin toss - it could have
been Weaver's or it could have been (and in this case it was) Group 9.
Did I follow the logic of that correctly?
Catherine