Cristina Davino is an associate professor of Statistics at the University of Macerata, Italy, and a member of the Doctoral Committee for the Ph.D. in Statistics at the University of Naples Federico II. Her research fields include: multidimensional data analysis, data mining (neural networks, association rules), quantile regression, statistical surveys, sensitivity analysis of composite indicators, evaluation of quality of life, and evaluation of educational planning.

This book focuses on the theory and applications of statistical surveys, providing suggestions and innovative solutions for overcoming problems in real-life, practical scenarios. Topics covered include all the main issues from data collection to estimation.

Part 1: Introduction to Statistical Surveys: Critical Points, Challenges and Need for Development (Luigi Biggeri).- Part 2: Questionnaire Design: Measurement Scales for Scoring or Ranking Sets of Interrelated Items (Luigi Fabbris).- Assessing Multi Item Scales for Subjective Measurement (Cristina Davino and Rosaria Romano).- Statistical Tools in the Joint Analysis of Closed and Open Ended Questions (Simona Balbi and Nicole Triunfo).- The Use of Self Anchoring Scales in Social Research: The Cantril Scale for the Evaluation of Community Action Orientation (Immacolata Di Napoli and Caterina Arcidiacono).- Part 3: Sampling Design and Error Estimation: Small Area Estimation of Poverty Indicators ( Monica Pratesi, Caterina Giusti and Stefano Marchetti).- Non Sampling Errors in Household Surveys: The Bank of Italy s Experience (Giovanni D Alessio and Giuseppe Ilardi).- Part 4: Data Integration: Enriching a Large Scale Survey from a Representative Sample by Data Fusion: Models and Validation (Tomàs Aluja Banet, Josep Daunis i Estadella and Yan Hong Chen).- A Business Survey on Job Vacancies: Integration with Other Sources and Calibration (Diego Bellisai, Stefania Fivizzani and Marina Sorrentino).

Nowadays statistical surveys represent an important source of scientific knowledge and a consolidated decision support tool in many fields of applications: from social sciences to economics, marketing, medicine, political science, etc. Most of the methodological issues concerning statistical surveys have been investigated by scientists so that the scientific literature offers a plenty of excellent references concerning all the required steps for planning and realizing them.
Nevertheless, facing real problems through statistical surveys often requires looking for operative solutions deviating from the consolidated methodology or choosing through several options.
The book will focus on theory and applications of statistical surveys, providing remarks and innovative solutions to face problems in survey practice. Topics covered in the book will include all the main issues regarding a planning of a statistical survey: data collection, sampling scheme, questionnaire definition, estimation. A good balance between formal rigor and clarity will allow the book be aimed to practitioners involved in applied research but also to academics interested in recent scientific developments in the field.