I am trying to understand the proper way to encode the nesting structure
for data in the context of nlme, in the specific case of individuals
nested within species for which each individual is unique.  I have
searched through Pinheiro & Bates and also past postings, but without
success.

 

Take the Wafer data set which has 2 levels: Wafer (8 values) and Site
nested within Wafer (10 values for each value of Wafer)  (Pinheiro &
Bates book).  The data set has Sites coded as values from 1 to 8 for
Wafer 1, values 1 to 8 for Wafer 2 etc.  Does this mean that the SAME
sites are used for each Wafer (i.e. site 1 of water 1 is the same as
site 1 of wafer 2)?  If different sites were chosen for each of the
wafers would one have to code the sites = 1 to 8 for Wafer 1, sites = 9
to 16 for Wafer 2, and so on?

In the case of individuals nested within species, each individual is
unique - analogous to different sites being chosen for each wafter.  

 

Thanks.

 

Bill Shipley

 


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