Re: st: 3-level model for crime victimization

["JVerkuilen (Gmail)" <jvverkuilen@gmail.com>]

On Tue, Sep 25, 2012 at 9:41 AM, Erik Alda <erik.alda@gmail.com> wrote:
> Dear Statalisters
>
> I am running a, so far, 2 level model on crime victimization using a survey
> of 8 neighborhoods in a large city in Brazil. The firs level is individual
> level predictors and the second level is neighborhood level predictors.
> Since the survey is not representative of the whole municipality, would I be
> able to include a 3rd level with citywide variables to estimate the effect
> of policy?

I don't see why you can't include it though your level 3 N is somewhat
small. As long as the sample sizes per neighborhood aren't reasonably
even it should run OK, though. The fact that the survey isn't
representative is a study limitation and affects what conclusions you
can draw from it, but that's separate from whether there's level 3
heterogeneity in the sample you do have. In some cases having the
external generalizability of a a representative sample is mandatory.
In other case it's not.


-- 
JVVerkuilen, PhD
jvverkuilen@gmail.com

"Out beyond ideas of wrong-doing and right-doing there is a field.
I'll meet you there. When the soul lies down in that grass the world
is too full to talk about." ---Rumi
*
*   For searches and help try:
*   http://www.stata.com/help.cgi?search
*   http://www.stata.com/support/statalist/faq
*   http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/