The Research Group

From more than sixty years, sampling theory has been  an important and continuously growing branch of Statistics. International meetings on sampling are more and more frequent, where sampling is considered in its numerous methodological and empirical aspects, which, in turn, are connected with the huge use of surveys and their (not always correct) methodological framework.

Nevertheless, recently Italian statisticians, both in  universities and research institutes (especially the Italian Statistical Institute - ISTAT - and the Banca d'Italia) have shown a growing interest in sampling.

Progress in methodology on one hand and constant improvements in software and electronic devices on the other hand enabled the spread and use of increasingly sophisticated tools in sampling framework.


There has always been a concrete and fruitful interaction between academic and non-academic environments when dealing with topics connected to sampling. The most relevant example in this context is the work of the ISTAT Boards (on sampling and on longitudinal surveys on enterprises and families), which have carried out a considerable amount of work on survey sampling in the fields of official statistics.

On the other hand, more recently, the interest of researchers towards sampling issues  in different fields, both in social sciences (first of all economics and demography) and in natural sciences, has become well-established. As an example, anything but exhaustive, it is sufficient to consider the continuous growing interest in non-standard sampling techniques (which are very useful both in natural sciences and demography),  modelling data from longitudinal surveys, the accurate and deep analysis on non-sampling errors, variance estimation in complex surveys and small-area estimation. In these fields, such as in many others, it is also worth noting a growing interaction between statisticians and researchers of other disciplines.


Particularly, in  recent years, in Italy there has been a huge increase in the number of statisticians working at universities and in research institutes who, in different circumstances and at different levels, has been interested in sampling. Since various surveys conducted by more or less expert researchers greatly influence  our actions, our choices, our decisions and our knowledge,  greater interaction between those researchers and the scientific community is in order to guarantee the reliability of survey results.

Moreover,  both the increasing interest of academics towards the application of sampling techniques and the growing attention of non-academics towards the methodological aspects of sampling should be pointed out. In this framework,  close cooperation between academics and non-academics should also be emphasized. At the same time,  attention should be drawn to an increase in the number of scientific publications on sampling by Italians and an improvement in the quality of the international journals and conference proceedings where they appear.


 Moreover,  closer collaboration between academic statisticians and non-academic statisticians as  has long taken place successfully  in the most advanced European and extraeuropean countries, becomes a fundamental goal to pursue in our nation. In this context, Statistics Sweden and Statistics Canada, as examples, show the excellent achievements which can be potentially reached by means of cooperation between universities and research institutes.


In this framework, it seems advisable and profitable  for the Italian Statistical Society to represent the natural reference point in order to promote continuous and complete connections between  various protagonists both in the methodological and applied fields, taking also into account that topics related to sampling have always had noticeable importance and prominent position in the works of the Society. As an example,  the review by Giuseppe Cicchitelli and Amato Herzel "Finite Population Sampling: overview and perspective", in the Proceedings of the SIS Forum on finite population sampling be quoted.


From a discussion  involving about forty members of the Italian Statistical Society, the establishment of a group permanently working on "Survey Sampling Methodologies"- founded and governed according to the criteria, rules and regulations of the SIS and with the scientific goals of promoting and coordinating methodological and applied research on sampling in economic, social, demographic and natural sciences -  became evidently appropriate.


One of the main devices of the group, among the other tasks, is to constitute a link  which allows those  involved in statistics but not SIS members or  engaged in different scientific fields but  aware of the necessity of rigorous analysis of information, to participate  in some events organized by the Italian Statistical Society.


In this context, various activities will be carried out by the group and, among others:


- to promote the circulation of news concerning the scientific production of the members and the  partner institutions, and also their research achievements and connected publications;

- to promote opportunities  for meeting and collaboration between academic and non-academic staff and between methodologists and applied researchers within the group;

- to promote opportunities  for training and exchange for PhD students and young researchers;

- to promote activities to increase the teaching of sampling methodologies at all the levels of academic and specific education.


Secondly, the group will promote and coordinate opportunities  for training, research and diffusion of methodologies, applications and innovative experiences. From this point of view, the following tasks can be highlighted among the others:


- to organize meetings regarding recent progress in sampling methodological research and  the most original and innovative applications;

- to collaborate in order to organize and carry out SIS events concerning topics of interest for the group, such as specialized sessions within Scientific Meetings, Schools, special issues of the journal Statistical Methods and Applications;

- to interact with international organisms and associations which deal with matters of interest for the group, promoting and coordinating the active participation of Italian researchers  in their initiatives and  those of foreign experts in the group activities.


The working group can be joined by  individuals and institutions interested in sampling. The rules for joining are established in the regulation.


The promoting members:

Giuseppe Arbia, Marco Ballin, Lucio Barabesi, Silvia Biffignandi, Elisabetta Carfagna, Claudio Ceccarelli, Giuseppe Cicchitelli, Daniela Cocchi, Pier Luigi Conti, Giancarlo Diana, Enrico Fabrizi, Piero D. Falorsi, Stefano Falorsi, Lorenzo Fattorini, Maria Rosaria Ferrante, Andrea Giommi, Giovanni M. Giorgi, Giovanna Jona-Lasinio, Giovanni Lafratta, Gianfranco Lovison, Walter Maffenini, Donata Marasini, Fabrizia Mealli, Fulvia Mecatti, Sonia Migliorati, Giorgio E. Montanari, Giovanna Nicolini, Silvia Pacei, Pierfrancesco Perri, Alessandra Petrucci, Caterina Pisani, Angiola Pollastri, Monica Pratesi, Giovanna Ranalli, Emilia Rocco, Aldo Russo, Nicola Salvati, Mauro Scanu, Nicola Torelli, Carlo Travisano, Paola Vicard.