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Decision-theoretic issues in heterogeneity variance estimation

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Abstract

Motivated by a heteroscedastic random effects setting of meta-analysis, a general model for the between-study variance is studied from the decision-theoretic point of view. This model leads to estimation of a linear in the variance reciprocals, random function or to simultaneous inference on curve-confined natural parameters of independent heterogeneous \(\chi ^2\)-random variables with given degrees of freedom. A form of the Stein phenomenon for the suggested loss functions is noted; the exact minimax value is determined, and minimax estimators are derived.

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Correspondence to Andrew L. Rukhin.

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Rukhin, A.L. Decision-theoretic issues in heterogeneity variance estimation. Ann Inst Stat Math 68, 571–588 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10463-015-0505-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10463-015-0505-1

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