[R] Fitting a mixed negative binomial model

[Henric Nilsson]

Ben Bolker said the following on 2005-04-12 21:40:

>   This is a little bit tricky (nonlinear, mixed, count data ...) Off the 
> top of my head, without even looking at the documentation, I think your 
> best bet for this problem would be to use the weights statement to allow 
> the variance to be proportional to the mean (and add a normal error term 
> for individuals) -- this would be close to equivalent to the log-Poisson 
> model used by Elston et al. (Parasitology 2001, 122, 563-569, "Analysis 
> of aggregation, a worked example: numbers of ticks on red grouse 
> chicks"), and might do what you want.

A recent posting

http://finzi.psych.upenn.edu/R/Rhelp02a/archive/48429.html

suggests that an R function for fitting the negative binomial 
mixed-effects model actually exists.


HTH,
Henric