Definition: Deck imputation

Category: UN - Data editing terminology

Imputation method where a donor questionnaire is used to supply the missing value.

- Hot-deck imputation - a donor questionnaire is found from the same survey as the questionnaire with the missing item. The "nearest neighbour" search technique is often used to expedite the search for a donor record. In this search technique, the deck of donor questionnaires comes from the same survey and shows similarities to the receiving record, where similarity is based on other data on the questionnaire that correlates to the data being donated. For example: similar size and location of farm might be used for donation of fuel prices. 

- Cold-deck imputation - same as hot deck except that the data is found in a previously conducted similar survey. http://www1.unece.org/stat/platform/display/kbase/Glossary