Introduction:
In this paper we discuss some of the practical problems in using multilevel techniques, by looking into the choices users of these techniques have to make. It is difficult, of course, to define "user". Different users have different degrees of statistical background, computer literacy, experience, and so on. We adopt a particular operational definition of a "user" in this paper, which certainly does not apply to all users. Our "user" is defined by the set of questions asked by the Statistical Standards and Methodology Division of the National Center for Education Statistics ( as formulated in a letter of 9-16-93 of Bob Burton of NCES to Jerry Sacks of the National Institute of Statistical Sciences) whose purpose"Wo evaluate the practical usefulness of multilevel modeling for educational statistics.
Keywords:
Variance components, hierarchical models, mixed models, multilevel models, random coefficients.
tr31.pdf