  A novel method for extracting multipole amplitudes in the nucleon resonance
region from electroproduction data is presented. The method is based on
statistical concepts and it relies heavily on Monte Carlo and simulation
techniques; it produces precise identification and determination of the
contributing multipole amplitudes in the resonance region and for the first
time a rigorous determination of the associated experimental uncertainty. The
results are demonstrated to be independent of any model bias. The method is
applied in the reanalysis of the $Q^{2}=0.127 GeV^2/c^2$ Bates and Mainz $N\to
\Delta$ data.

Nuclear Experiment