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Selection Bias in Comparative Research: The Case of Incomplete Data Sets

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  • Hug, Simon

Abstract

Selection bias is an important but often neglected problem in comparative research. While comparative case studies pay some attention to this problem, this is less the case in broader cross-national studies, where this problem may appear through the way the data used are generated. The article discusses three examples: studies of the success of newly formed political parties, research on protest events, and recent work on ethnic conflict. In all cases the data at hand are likely to be afflicted by selection bias. Failing to take into consideration this problem leads to serious biases in the estimation of simple relationships. Empirical examples illustrate a possible solution (a variation of a Tobit model) to the problems in these cases. The article also discusses results of Monte Carlo simulations, illustrating under what conditions the proposed estimation procedures lead to improved results.

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  • Hug, Simon, 2003. "Selection Bias in Comparative Research: The Case of Incomplete Data Sets," Political Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 11(3), pages 255-274, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:polals:v:11:y:2003:i:03:p:255-274_01
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    Cited by:

    1. Matthias Basedau & Jonathan Fox & Jan H. Pierskalla & Georg Strüver & Johannes Vüllers, 2017. "Does discrimination breed grievances—and do grievances breed violence? New evidence from an analysis of religious minorities in developing countries," Conflict Management and Peace Science, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 34(3), pages 217-239, May.
    2. Thierry Madiès & Grégoire Rota-Grasiozi & Jean-Pierre Tranchant & Cyril Trépier, 2018. "The economics of secession: a review of legal, theoretical, and empirical aspects," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics, Springer;Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics, vol. 154(1), pages 1-18, December.
    3. Cullen S. Hendrix & Idean Salehyan, 2015. "No News Is Good News: Mark and Recapture for Event Data When Reporting Probabilities Are Less Than One," International Interactions, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(2), pages 392-406, March.
    4. Tranchant, Jean-Pierre, 2007. "Decentralization and Ethnic Conflict: The Role of Empowerment," MPRA Paper 3713, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Jean Pierre TRANCHANT, 2007. "Decentralization and Ethnic Conflict: The Role of Empowerment," Working Papers 200705, CERDI.
    6. Strijbis, Oliver, 2015. "Beyond opportunity structures: explaining migrant protest in Western Europe, 1975-2005," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 3, pages 1-1.
    7. Flesken, Anaïd, 2014. "Researching Ethnic Relations as the Outcome of Political Processes," GIGA Working Papers 251, GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies.
    8. Kyle L. Marquardt & Yoshiko M. Herrera, 2015. "Ethnicity as a Variable: An Assessment of Measures and Data Sets of Ethnicity and Related Identities," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 96(3), pages 689-716, September.
    9. Ashira Menashe-Oren, 2020. "Migrant-based youth bulges and social conflict in urban sub-Saharan Africa," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 42(3), pages 57-98.

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