An efficient shrinkage bootstrap bias estimator for smooth functions of sample means

Abstract

Since it is not always possible to calculate bootstrap estimators, they are usually approximated by simulation. In this article, we propose a bootstrap bias estimator for smooth functions of sample means that has less mean squared error, due to the simulation process, than the ordinary bootstrap. The estimator is based on shrinking the bootstrap mean towards the original sample mean. It can easily be implemented while demanding almost no additional computational effort.