On the Development of Reference Priors*

Abstract

Abstract The paper begins with a general, though idiosyncratic, discussion of noninformative priors. This provides the background for motivating the recent and ongoing elaborations of the reference prior method for developing noninformative priors, a method initiated in Bernardo (1979). Included in this description of the reference prior method is a new condition that has not previously appeared. Motivation for this new condition is found, in part, in the Fraser, Monette, Ng (1985) example. Extensive discussion of the motivation for reference priors and the specific steps in the algorithm are given, with reference to new examples where appropriate. Also, technical issues in implementing the algorithm are discussed.