Demographic Techniques

Demography is the study of population structure and change. As modern society becomes ever more complex, it becomes increasingly important to be able to measure accurately all aspects of change in the population, and estimate what its future size and composition might be. This book describes and explains the methods demographers use to analyse population data. Looking at mortality and fertility, population dynamics and population projection, nuptiality and migration, Hinde demonstrates that most demographic methods are applications of certain fundamental principles. This book covers material taught in introductory courses in population analysis, while also including more advanced topics such as parity progression ratios, survival analysis and birth interval analysis. Most chapters are followed by a range of exercises, and a comprehensive set of solutions to these exercises is provided at the end of the book. Quattro and Excel spreadsheet files containing data for all the numerical exercises, plus some additional files of data from recent census and surveys, are available via the Internet.

This book offers an ideal introduction to the analysis of demographic data. Inside, readers of all quantitative skill levels will find the information they need to develop a solid understanding of the methods used to study human populations and how they change over time due to such factors as birth, death, and migration. The comprehensive, systematic coverage defines basic concepts and introduces data sources; champions the use of Lexis diagrams as a device for visualizing demographic measures; highlights the importance of making comparisons (whether over time or between populations at a point in time) that control for differences in population composition; describes approaches to analyzing mortality, fertility, and migration; and details approaches to the important field of population projection. Throughout, the author makes the material accessible for readers through careful exposition, the use of examples, and other helpful features. This book's thorough coverage of basic concepts and principles lays a firm foundation for anyone contemplating undertaking demographic research, whether in a university setting or in a professional employment that takes on a demographic dimension requiring in-house training.

This book provides an up-to-date overview of demographic analysis and methods, including recent developments in demography. Concepts and methods, from the nature of demographic information through data collection and the basics of statistical measures and on to demographic analysis itself are succinctly explained. Measures and analyses of fertility, mortality, life tables, migration and demographic events such as marriage, education and labour force are described while later chapters cover multiple decrement tables, population projections, the importance of testing and smoothing demographic data, the stable population model and demographic software. An emphasis on practical aspects and the use of real-life examples based on data from around the globe make this book accessible, whilst comprehensive references and links to data and other resources on the internet help readers to explore further. The text is concise and well written, making it ideally suited to a wider audience from students to academics and teachers. Students of demography, geography, sociology, economics, as well as professionals, academics and students of marketing, human resource management, and public health who have an interest in population issues will all find this book useful.

Classroom-tested over many years and filled with fresh examples, Essential Demographic Methods is tailored to beginners, advanced students, and researchers. Award-winning teacher and eminent demographer Kenneth Wachter draws on themes from the individual lifecourse, history, and global change to bring out the wider appeal of demography.

Demographic Methods and Concepts makes accessible the most commonly needed techniques for working with population statistics, irrespective of the reader's mathematical background. For the first time in such a text, concepts and practical strategies needed in the interpretation of demographic indices and data are included. Spreadsheet training exercises enable students to acquire the computer skills needed for demographic work. The accompanying free CD-ROM contains innovative, fully integrated learning modules as well as applications facilitating demographic studies.

This useful book focuses on elementary demographic techniques and their application in the field of public health. Presented in a easy-to-understand style, each chapter features examples and exercises to facilitate comprehension. Topics covered include: computation of basic measures of fertility and mortality, construction of life tables, techniques of standardization, demographic models and evaluation of programs. The book concludes with a description of useful software packages for the teaching and learning of demographic models.

Although I feel honored to write a foreword for this important book, it is a task that I approach with some trepidation. The topics covered in the book summarize the current state of the art in technical demography. However, my knowledge and expertise with respect to technical demography are limited to the most fundamental and intermediate-level methods; hence, critical commentary on the contents of this volume is beyond my scope in this fore word. Since I have some understanding of the logic and substantive aspects of the methods rather than the complicated mathematics used in describing them, my comments will necessarily be restricted to the book's general or ganization and content. To date, most texts published on technical demography have been limited to traditional demographic methods: sources and limitations of data, life table construction and applications, standardization techniques, various methods for preparing population estimates and forecasts, etc. However, population specialists have in recent years been developing and successfully applying a variety of sophisticated techniques not covered in the more standard intro ductory texts. In addition, many traditional methods that are unique to the demographic discipline have been improved and extended.