This Analysis of Two Weighting Methods for Gender Relations Surveys survey note describes and contrasts two statistical methodologies for the Workplace and Gender Relations Survey of Active Duty Members (WGRA), Workplace and Gender Relations Survey of Reserve Component Members (WGRR), and Department of Defense Civilian Employee Workplace and Gender Relations Survey (WGRC). Section 1 provides a detailed comparison of the 1-stage and 2-stage final weights for the 2018 WGRA. Section 2 presents results from weighting four WGR surveys both ways to examine the impact of 2-stage weights. Analysis shows that the variance gain is not necessarily an improvement, and that while the distributions generated by the two methods are statistically different, both weighting methods produce essentially the same estimates and similar margins of error (MOE).
Note: Prior to 2025, OPA research products used the term “gender” to describe men and women. These groups were defined using survey items and/or administrative data categories for “male” and “female”; therefore, references to gender should be understood to mean “sex”.