title: Migration efficiency ratios and the optimal distribution of population.
abstract: The authors present a theoretical description of the migration process and criticize the conventional interpretation of the migration efficiency ratio, which is defined as the ratio of the net number of moves of individuals between areas to the gross number of moves that take place.  "The conventional interpretation of the migration efficiency ratio is that the closer it lies to zero the less efficient the migration process....However, [the authors] feel that this is a somewhat misleading conception of the notion of efficiency in migration in that it emphasizes the physical efficiency of the migration process rather than focusing on the contribution of migration to a socially efficient allocation of population.  Thus, to redirect attention, [they] have chosen to judge migration efficiency on the basis of its contribution to producing an equilibrium population distribution."  The focus is on internal migration.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gallaway
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vedder
mesh_terms: D003710:Demography; D004467:Economics; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005843:Geography; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011153:Population; D011156:Population Density; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012106:Research; D012107:Research Design; D012942:Social Sciences; D012946:Social Welfare
keywords: Critique; Demographic Factors; Demography; Economic Factors; Geographic Factors; Mathematical Model; Measurement; Migration; Migration, Internal; Models, Theoretical; Optimum Population; Population; Population Dynamics; Population Size; Population Theory; Research Methodology; Social Sciences; Social Welfare; Spatial Distribution; Stable Population