Multiple sample estimation of population and census undercount in the presence of matching errors

The multiple capture-recapture census is reconsidered by relaxing the traditional perfect matching assumption. We propose matching error models to characterize error-prone matching mechanisms. The observed data take the form of an incomplete 2^k contingency table with one missing cell and follow a multinomial distribution. We develop a procedure for the estimation of the population size. Our approach applies to both standard log-linear models for contingency tables and log-linear models for heterogeneity of catchability. We illustrate the method and estimation using a 1988 dress rehearsal study for the 1990 census conducted by the U.S. Bureau of the Census.