Some Methods for Estimation in a Negative-Binomial Model

To clarify the advantage of using the quasilikelihood method, lack of robustness of the maximum likelihood method was demonstrated for the negative-binomial model. Efficiency calculations of the method of moments and the pseudolikelihood method in the estimation of extra-Poisson parameters in a negative-binomial model were carried out. Especially when the overdispersion parameter is small, both methods are relatively highly efficient and the pseudolikelihood estimate is more efficient than the method of moments estimate. Two examples of the quasilikelihood analyses of count data with overdispersion are given. The bootstrap method also is applied to the data to illustrate the advantage of the method of moments or pseudolikelihood method in the estimation of the standard errors of the mean parameter estimates under the negative-binomial model.