Social Science Data and Software (SSDS) Blog: January 2008 Archives

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January 31, 2008

Atlas/ti: 2-day Small Group Workshop in Santa Barbara, CA, March 7-8, 2008

ATLAS.ti - The Knowledge Workbench:: Workshops

Date: March 7, 2008 until March 8, 2008 [Participants limited to: 8]
Workshop description at: http://www.learnatlas.com
Trainer: Nicholas Woolf, Ph.D.
WSID: NW_2DAY/WS_294

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Two day workshops for a maximum of eight participants are offered in Santa Barbara, California. The emphasis is on learning the full potential of ATLAS.ti in the context of your current project.

The small group format allows maximum personal attention and one-on-one coaching. The workshop is led by Nick Woolf, Ph.D. Nick has trained more than 1,000 people in ATLAS.ti since 1997.

The following describes the typical curriculum, but is tailored to your needs, existing skills, and the status of your current project.

Day 1 covers the basics:

the basic concepts behind the program and all its features
Strategies for setting up your project and designing a data analysis
The theory and practice of coding
What comes after coding to build a powerful qualitative analysis

Day 2 introduces the advanced features of the program:

The use of graphical networks from the very beginning stages of your project for modeling, concept mapping, and theory-building
Strategies for using complex retrievals with the Query Tool
Strategies and tools for teamworking
Strategies for using other media

Please visit www.learnatlas.com for further information and for what others have said about these workshops.

In-house workshops at your institution of either one, two, or three days are tailored to your needs. Please visit www.learnatlas.com for further information.

For further information, please contact:
Nicholas Woolf, Ph.D.
4505 Carpinteria Avenue, Suite G
Carpinteria
CA 93013, USA
URL: http://www.learnatlas.com
Tel: (805) 259 8288

Posted by yan at 05:30 PM

January 30, 2008

SPSS webcast: Clementine demonstration

SPSS - Events

Feb 13, 2008

United States
Begins at: 11:00 a.m. CT
Duration: 45 minutes

Data mining uncovers patterns in data using predictive techniques. These patterns play a critical role in decision making because they reveal areas for process improvement. Using data mining, organizations can increase the profitability of their interactions with customers, detect fraud, and improve risk management. The patterns uncovered using data mining help organizations make better and timelier decisions.

By viewing this demonstration you’ll learn how to:

Create profiles and multiple modeling techniques to predict customer behavior
Deploy results in real-time to the right people
Easily integrate Clementine into your existing systems

Posted by yan at 09:16 PM

SPSS webcast: SPSS Text Analysis for Surveys demonstration

SPSS - Events

Feb 12, 2008

United States
Begins at: 11:00 a.m. CT
Duration: 45 minutes

Maximize survey research value with open text responses.

Open-ended survey questions allow people to express themselves in their own words; and give researchers rich new insights into attitudes and preferences regarding service, purchase decisions, product design, employment, operations, whatever the issue under study.

If you’ve limited your surveys to close-ended questions due to the time and expense of reading and manually coding text responses, this session can be your organization’s first step toward maximizing the value of your survey data.

Created specifically for open-ended survey responses, SPSS Text Analysis for Surveys uses proven technologies in computational linguistics to make it far more powerful than typical text-coding procedures. It allows you to categorize hundreds, even thousands of responses in a fraction of the time it would take to do so manually. Then easily export results for further analysis and graphing.

Gather interested co-workers and register now for this SPSS survey research software demonstration. You’ll discover:

How to turn text into quantitative data
How to save even more time by automating the creation of categories and the coding of responses
How to uncover category relationships using visualizations such as bar charts and tables
How to export results to Excel, SPSS or other software for analysis
And more!

Find out how easy it is to capture the power of text responses for your survey research.

Posted by yan at 09:14 PM

From IES Newsflash: Using the NCES International Databases for Research and Policy Discussion

Wednesday, May 21, through Friday, May 23, 2008
Washington, DC

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, will sponsor a 2½-day seminar on the use of NCES International Databases: the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS).

This seminar is open to advanced graduate students and faculty members from colleges and universities nationwide, and to researchers, education practitioners, and policy analysts from state and local education agencies and professional associations.

There is no fee to attend this seminar. NCES will provide training materials as well as computers for hands-on practice. NCES will also pay for transportation, hotel accommodations, and a fixed per diem for meals and incidental expenses during the training seminar. All applications should be received no later than April 4, 2008. Applications will be reviewed and selected candidates will be informed by April 14, 2008.

For more information or to complete an application, go to:
http://ies.ed.gov/whatsnew/conferences/?id=309&cid=2

Posted by ronbo at 07:02 PM

January 29, 2008

New NCES Report! - Recent Participation in Formal Learning Among Working-Age Adults with Different Levels of Education

This report, released by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), uses data from the 2001 and 2005 adult education surveys of the National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES) to examine the participation of adults in formal learning activities during the 12 months preceding the survey, focusing on the participation of adults who at the end of the survey had the lowest levels of education (no high school diploma, or a GED). These adults with low levels of education were found to have participated at relatively high rates in adult basic education, ESL, and GED classes. However, for the most common types of formal learning activities—work-related courses and personal interest courses—adults with low levels of education participated at lower rates and for shorter periods of time than did adults with higher levels of education. Among the adults who did participate in these activities, those with lower levels of education at the end of the survey were less likely
than those with higher levels of education to pay at least some course expenses themselves.

View, download, and print the full report as a PDF file:
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2008041

Posted by ronbo at 04:22 PM

SPSS webcast: SPSS Base and SPSS Tables demonstration

Feb 5, 2008
United States
Begins at: 1:00 p.m. CT
Duration: 45 minutes

[See full list of SPSS online seminars for future dates of the same webcast and webcasts on other products.]

SPSS Base is the heart of SPSS’ statistical software suite, offering a broad range of capabilities for data import, manipulation, analysis and graphics. SPSS Base is an approachable product that anyone with basic computing experience can learn to use; yet it is also widely regarded as an industry standard for analytics, with the ability to be expanded as needed for demanding analytic applications. SPSS Tables allows you to create a report that summarizes results and tests for significance. You will see how easy it is to create multiple views of your data, cross-tabs and significance testing.

Topic covered in the webcast include:

The SPSS graphic user interface
Importing data
Data exploration and manipulation
Analysis with ease
Reporting with Tables
Analytics with depth
Graphics
Sharing results
Automated reporting

Find out more, visit the organizer Web site: http://spssevents.webex.com

Posted by yan at 02:15 PM

See it in SPSS: free seminar offered by SPSS, San Francisco, Feb 19

See it in SPSS: free seminar exclusively for SPSS customers

What:

Special seminars for SPSS customers — See how SPSS products seamlessly work together and preview what's coming in SPSS 16.0 and other new product developments. In the morning portion, learn how SPSS products can help you with data collection, advanced analysis, reporting and text analysis. In the afternoon, learn about advanced data collection and survey authoring tools, as well as learning the power of data mining with Clementine.

Where/When:

Agenda:

Time	Activity
8:30 am - 9:00 am	Check-in/Continental Breakfast
9:00 am - 9:15 am	Introduction & Welcome
9:15 am – 10:00 am	mrInterview
10:00 am - 10:45 am	SPSS Text Analysis For Surveys
10:45 am – 11:00 am	Break
11:00 am- 11:45 pm	Desktop Reporter
11:45 am - 12:15 pm	SPSS 16.0 for Windows
12:15 pm - 12:30 pm	Q & A
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm	Networking lunch
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm	Data mining with Clementine
	End-to-end Survey Research Solutions

Posted by yan at 01:01 PM

January 28, 2008

From IES Newsflash: NAEP Music and Visual Arts Assessments Begin January 28!

Eighth-graders in selected schools across the nation will be participating in music or visual arts assessments this winter. For more information about these innovative surveys, download the Sample Questions Booklet for music and visual arts at:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/booklets.asp

The arts were last assessed in 1997; view the results at:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/main1997/artseduc/98455.pdf
(748KB; requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).

Results will be reported in 2009. The next arts assessment is scheduled for 2016.

National field tests in mathematics, reading, and science at grades 4, 8, and 12 also will be administered beginning January 28.

Until May 23, NAEP continues administering the long-term trend assessment in reading and mathematics. The data collected can be linked back to NAEP assessments first conducted in the early 1970s to measure progress across time. For more information, see:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/ltt/

Posted by ronbo at 05:44 PM

ICPSR Announces: Launch of the Online Learning Center - Teaching Resources!

ICPSR is pleased to announce the beta launch of the Online Learning Center (OLC). The site is located at: http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/OLC/ and can be found under the Courses & Learning Tools tab on the ICPSR main page.

The OLC is the result of discussions with teaching faculty about using data in their classrooms and the challenges such undertakings can entail. Instructors directed ICPSR to develop tools that would: 1) quickly locate relevant data that are easy to work with and that nicely demonstrate the concept(s), and 2) enable the instructor to customize the materials to their own teaching approach and syllabus.

To that end, Data-driven Learning Guides, a core element of the OLC, were created for the express purpose of making ICPSR data more user-friendly for classroom exercises. The guides are designed for faculty to use for in-class demonstrations or to assign as supplemental activities for giving students greater exposure to concepts.

Note: This launch is a beta launch of the OLC. More topics, guides, and tools will continue to be added over the coming weeks and months. The purpose of the beta launch is to go live and allow instructors to use the site while encouraging their feedback and watching for any potential bugs in the site's use. A more widely-publicized full launch is expected in Summer 2008.

Posted by ronbo at 05:23 PM

January 24, 2008

From MAPSS list: Mark Appelbaum on Small Samples

Don't have enough data? Come to MAPSS on Tuesday (January 29th) to hear from UCSD Professor Mark Appelbaum, one of psychology's premiere methodologists, on cutting-edge techniques for dealing with small samples. Professor Appelbaum will be delivering the talk that he was unable to give in October due to the San Diego fires.

Food will be served at the Education Building Room 128 at 11:45AM, talk starts at noon. (RSVP for Pizza at http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup_appelbaum.html)

Tuesday, January 29th
12:00 PM
Education Building - Room 128

When Samples Are Small

It is not uncommon, especially in studies of special populations and pilot studies, for researchers to be faced with special analytic problems due to the small numbers of subjects they have amassed. Under these circumstances, when power is already problematic, it may be difficult to rely on the asymptotic assumptions of the most commonly used statistical techniques. In this talk we will consider the consequences of the violation of asymptotic assumptions and will explore statistical techniques such as randomization/permutation tests that may be employed in small sample situations.

Mark Appelbaum is a Professor of Psychology at UCSD and until July 1 of 2007 was Associate Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Education at UCSD. Appelbaum specializes in Quantitative Psychology including applied statistics, experimental design, applied measurement and assessment. He has been Editor of the Psychological Bulletin and was Founding Editor of Psychological Methods. He was a member of the SAT Committee of the College Board. Prior to joining the faculty at UCSD he was a on the faculties of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and Vanderbilt University.

MAPSS is an interdisciplinary methodology program designed to expose researchers to diverse modes of data collection and analysis from across the social sciences. MAPSS offers a colloquium series, a workshop, a graduate certificate program, and various research resources. If you would like to learn more about the Methods of Analysis Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS), please check out our website at mapss.stanford.edu.

All members of the Stanford community are invited to attend and to RSVP in advance to reserve food.
To RSVP, please click here (http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup_appelbaum.html).

Lunch will be served at 11:45 for those who have RSVP'd; the talks start at noon.

For more information, please contact mapss-info@lists.stanford.edu.

Posted by ronbo at 10:18 PM

SPSS webcast: Breaking Down the Barriers of Survey Research

Feb 12, 2008
United States
Begins at: 11:00 a.m. CT
Duration: 1 hour

Learn how Dimensions’ shared approach to survey design, data collection, analysis and reporting generates better results.

Find out more, visit the organizer Web site: https://spssevents.webex.com/spssevents/onstage/g.php?p=33&t=m

Posted by yan at 09:26 PM

SPSS webcast: How to Build a Killer Survey

Feb 27, 2008
United States
Begins at: 11:00 a.m. CT
Duration: 1 hour

See real-world strategies for authoring surveys that quickly engage respondents across a range of data collection modes.

Find out more, visit the organizer Web site: https://spssevents.webex.com/spssevents/onstage/g.php?p=33&t=m

Posted by yan at 09:24 PM

SPSS webcast: Turning Results into Rewards: Survey Analysis and Reporting

Mar 4, 2008
United States
Begins at: 11:00 a.m. CT
Duration: 1 hour

See why delivering the right survey research results to the right person at the right time makes all the difference.

Find out more, visit the organizer Web site: https://spssevents.webex.com/spssevents/onstage/g.php?p=33&t=m

Posted by yan at 09:22 PM

From Stanford GIS list: GIS workshops at UC Berkeley for Spring 2008

The College of Natural Resources
Geospatial Imaging & Informatics Facility (GIIF)

--- Spring 2008 Announcement ---

The Geospatial Imaging and Informatics Facility supports research & outreach activities of those interested in geospatial analysis utilizing remote sensing, Geographical Information Systems, spatial analysis, landscape ecology, visualization, and Global Positioning Systems technology.

** THE GIIF HAS 8 WORKSHOPS SCHEDULED FOR SPRING 2008. **

The GIIF offers workshops to train STUDENTS, FACULTY, and STAFF on geospatial tools and applications, including GPS, GIS, remote sensing, webGIS. If you want to take a geospatial workshop that you don't see scheduled, email us at giif@nature.berkeley.edu. If there is enough interest, we will schedule additional workshops.

Workshops fees are $50 for all UC students (graduate and undergraduate), faculty, and staff; $135 for all non-UC affiliates. Undergraduate students can apply for financial assistance to take a workshop through the GIIF Undergraduate Scholarship Program.

Schedule is below (and at http://giif.cnr.berkeley.edu/workshops.html)

1. Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Friday, February 1, 9am-1pm in 124 Mulford Hall
Fee: $50/person UC-wide

2. Introduction to Global Positioning Systems (GPS)
Friday, February 8, 9am-1pm in 111 Mulford Hall
Fee: $50/person UC-wide

3. Object-based image analysis with Definiens' eCognition software I - Introductory level
Friday February 15, 9am-1pm in 111 Mulford Hall
Fee: $50/person UC-wide

4. Object-based image analysis with Definiens' eCognition software II - Intermediate level
Friday February 22, 9am-1pm in 111 Mulford Hall
Fee: $50/person UC-wide

5. Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Friday, April 11, 9am-1pm in 124 Mulford Hall
Fee: $50/person UC-wide

6. Image analysis with ENVI & IDL
Friday, April 18, 9am-1pm in 111 Mulford Hall
Fee: $50/person UC-wide

7. Visualizing your data in Google Earth, ArcGIS Explorer, and other 3D software
Friday, May 2, 9am-1pm in 124 Mulford Hall
Fee: $50/person UC-wide

8. Creating your own webGIS with Google Maps
Friday, May 9, 9am-1pm in 111 Mulford Hall
Fee: $50/person UC-wide

Space is limited so view agendas and register now by going to http://giif.cnr.berkeley.edu/workshops-register.html

Workshops are subject to cancellation due to low registration.

Questions? Email us at giif@nature.berkeley.edu

Individual assistance is also available through office hours or by appointment. We encourage questions about GPS, GIS, remote sensing, spatial analysis, webGIS, and other geospatial informatics to visit the GIIF (111 Mulford Hall) for assistance.

Please see our website at http://giif.cnr.berkeley.edu/ for more information about what the GIIF offers, including research support, Internet server support, GPS equipment rental, geospatial workspace, and poster/map production.

Posted by ronbo at 02:59 PM

2006 Academic Libraries Survey data now on Peer Tool

The suppressed, unimputed data from the 2006 Academic Libraries Survey are now available on the Compare Academic Libraries peer tool at:
http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/libraries/compare/index.asp?LibraryType=Academic

If you have questions about using the peer tool, please contact Barbara Holton at (202) 219-7095 or barbara.holton@ed.gov

Posted by ronbo at 01:23 PM

SSDS Workshop - Wednesday, January 30 - Noon-1:00 p.m.

Introduction to SSDS Services and Resources

When: Wednesday, January 30
Where: Room 121A, first floor of the Green Library Bing Wing, Noon - 1:00 p.m.

This quarter, Social Science Data and Software (SSDS) data specialists and software consultants are offering a workshop introducing SSDS services and resources. Topics include an overview of our consulting services, and computing and print resources. SSDS data specialists will highlight key data sources for secondary research: ICPSR (Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research), the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, DEWI (Data Extraction Web Interface), and data on CD/DVD-ROM. SSDS software consultants will demonstrate quantitative software, SPSS, and qualitative software, NVivo. Light refreshments will be provided. Participants are invited to stay beyond the hour for an informal Q&A session. Should you wish to attend, please send email to: consult-ssds@lists.stanford.edu or register via our Web site at: http://ssds.stanford.edu

Social Science Data and Software (SSDS) is a group within the Social Sciences Resource Center (SSRC) that provides services and support to Stanford faculty, staff and students in finding and getting social science data, and in selecting and using quantitative (statistical) and qualitative software.

Posted by Judy at 11:24 AM

January 23, 2008

The ELS:2002 base year through first follow-up data were released as an online Data Analysis System (DAS)

This DAS contains most of the data included in the restricted use base year to second follow-up data files released in October 2007 except for some restricted variables.

The DAS provides capability for performing your own analyses online by creating your own tables or performing logistic regressions online without having to obtain the data files from NCES.

Visit and use the Data Analysis System:
http://nces.ed.gov/das/

For questions about the ELS:2002 DAS, contact John Wirt:
john.wirt@ed.gov

Posted by ronbo at 01:39 PM

January 22, 2008

Recent ICPSR updates and additions - New Releases through 2008-01-20

Below is a list of new data collection additions to the ICPSR data archive along with a list of released data collections that have been updated:

New Additions

3936 County Business Patterns, 2000 [United States]: U.S. Summary, State, and County Data
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/03936.xml

3953 County Business Patterns, 2001 [United States]: U.S. Summary, State, and County Data
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/03953.xml

4117 American Community Survey (ACS): Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS), 2003
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04117.xml

4407 County Business Patterns, 2002 [United States]: U.S. Summary, State, and County Data
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04407.xml

4408 County Business Patterns, 2003 [United States]: U.S. Summary, State, and County Data
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04408.xml

4415 Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2004: Diary Survey
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04415.xml

4416 Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2004: Interview Survey and Detailed Expenditure Files
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04416.xml

4419 Census of Governments, 1992: Employment Statistics
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04419.xml

4420 Census of Governments, 1992: Finance Statistics
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04420.xml

4421 Census of Governments, 1992: Government Organization File
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04421.xml

4422 Census of Governments, 1997: Employment Statistics
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04422.xml

4423 Census of Governments, 1997: Finance Statistics
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04423.xml

4424 Census of Governments, 1997: Government Organization File
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04424.xml

4425 Census of Governments, 2002: Employment Statistics
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04425.xml

4426 Census of Governments, 2002: Finance Statistics
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04426.xml

4427 Census of Governments, 2002: Government Organization File
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04427.xml

13397 Census of Population and Housing, 2000 [United States]: United States Virgin Islands Summary File
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/13397.xml

13401 Census of Population and Housing, 2000 [United States]: Guam Summary File
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/13401.xml

13404 Census of Population and Housing, 2000 [United States]: American Samoa Summary File
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/13404.xml

13564 Census of Population and Housing, 2000 [United States]: Public Use Microdata Sample: 10-Percent Sample, Guam
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/13564.xml

13567 Census of Population and Housing, 2000 [United States]: Public Use Microdata Sample: 10-Percent Sample, U.S. Virgin Islands
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/13567.xml

21442 Eurobarometer 65.4: Discrimination in the EU, Organized Crime, Medical Research, Vehicle Intelligence Systems, and Humanitarian Aid, June-July 2006
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/21442.xml

Updates

2173 ABC News/Washington Post Inaugural Poll, January 1997
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/02173.xml

8318 Census of Population and Housing, 1980 [United States]: Summary Tape File 3B
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/08318.xml

9354 ABC News/Washington Post Poll, June 1989
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/09354.xml

You can also view a list of all studies added and updated in the last ninety days by visiting the ICPSR Web site at
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/ICPSR/access/recent.html.

Posted by ronbo at 02:20 PM

January 21, 2008

Webcast: Introduction to NVivo 7 for Qualitative Research

from: Introduction to NVivo 7 for Qualitative Research

Title	Introduction to NVivo 7 for Qualitative Research
Event Type	Webcast
Start Date	24 January 2008
End Date	24 January 2008
Time	5:00 PM (US Eastern Standard Time)
Venue	Conducted via the Internet
Country	United States
Detail	This is a free interactive eSeminar conducted by QSR. Participants will be provided with an overview of the key features of our NVivo 7 software and their potential use in the research process. There will also be an opportunity for questions during the session. Places are limited and Internet connection is required.
Contact	Lorraine Freitas, QSR International (US)
Related Products	NVivo 7
QSR Hosted Event	No
Email	americas@qsrinternational.com
Website	http://www.qsrinternational.com
Related Documents	eSeminar Enrolment Form
Related Links	More about NVivo 7

Search for another event like this

Posted by yan at 06:08 PM

January 18, 2008

See it in SPSS - San Francisco

Feb 19, 2008
Le Meridien San Francisco
333 Battery Street
San Francisco, CA
United States
Begins at: 9:00 a.m.
Duration: 5 hours

Our customers said they wanted to learn about getting more value with SPSS products, but they also don't have a lot of time to spare. Based on your feedback, SPSS has launched the See it in SPSS on-line and in-person seminar series. See it in SPSS is our commitment to provide SPSS customers with opportunities for practical online and in-person educational experiences with SPSS products.

These events are quick, up close presentations of SPSS products. Take a look at all upcoming events and sign up for those that focus on your area of interest.

Find out more, visit the organizer Web site: http://www.spss.com/seeit/

Posted by yan at 05:22 PM

From MAPSS list: MAPSS - Jeremy Weinstein - Experiments in Comparative Politics this Tuesday

This Tuesday, join MAPSS to hear from Stanford Political Scientist Jeremy Weinstein who will be discussing the use of experiments in comparative politics!

Also, are you interested in meeting with, sitting down for coffee with, or having a group meet with Professor Mark Appelbaum when he visits on January 29th? Send Josh Pasek an email (josh@joshpasek.com) to set somthing up.

Tuesday, January 22nd
12:00 PM
Education Building - Room 128

Using experiments in Comparative Politics:
Why Does Ethnic Diversity Undermine Public Goods Provision?

A large and growing literature links high levels of ethnic diversity to low levels of public goods provision. Yet although the empirical connection between ethnic heterogeneity and the underprovision of public goods is widely accepted, there is little consensus on the specific mechanisms through which this relationship operates.

We identify three families of mechanisms that link diversity to public goods provision—–what we term “preferences,” “technology,” and “strategy selection” mechanisms—–and run a series of experimental games that permit us to compare the explanatory power of distinct mechanisms within each of these three families. Results from games conducted with a random sample of 300 subjects from a slum neighborhood of Kampala, Uganda, suggest that successful public goods provision in homogenous ethnic communities can be attributed to a strategy selectionmechanism: in similar settings, co-ethnics play cooperative equilibria, whereas non-co-ethnics do not.

In addition, we find evidence for a technology mechanism: co-ethnics are more closely linked on social networks and thus plausibly better able to support cooperation through the threat of social sanction. We find no evidence for prominent preference mechanisms that emphasize the commonality of tastes within ethnic groups or a greater degree of altruism toward co-ethnics, and only weak evidence for technology mechanisms that focus on the impact of shared ethnicity on the productivity of teams.
Jeremy Weinstein

RSVP for Free Pizza (available at 11:45 AM outside)

Jeremy Weinstein is an Assistant Professor at Stanford University. His book "Inside Rebellion: The Politics of Insurgent Violence" was published in 2007.

Lunch will be served at 11:45 for those who have RSVP'd; the talks start at noon.

For more information, please contact mapss-info@lists.stanford.edu.

Posted by ronbo at 04:16 PM

January 16, 2008

From Statalist-digest V4 #2942 (1/15/08): Journal of Statistical Software [JSS]

The JSS, an electronic publication of the American Statistical Association, is now indexed in RePEc. All contents of the JSS may be freely downloaded (there are no subscriptions). See for example

http://econpapers.repec.org/article/jssjstsof/

Bob Yaffee's review of Stata's time series and forecasting capabilities is available on that site. Other software reviews of elements of Stata are in the works. Please see the Journal's website (http://jstatsoft.org) if you would like to consider JSS as an outlet for your work.

Kit Baum
associate editor, JSS

Posted by ronbo at 11:00 PM

Recent ICPSR updates and additions - New Releases through 2008-01-13

Below is a list of new data collection additions to the ICPSR data archive along with a list of released data collections that have been updated:

New Additions

4403 Current Population Survey, September 2005: Volunteer Supplement File
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04403.xml

4526 Current Population Survey, February 2003: Tobacco Use Supplement
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04526.xml

4527 Current Population Survey, June 2003: Tobacco Use Supplement
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04527.xml

4528 Current Population Survey, November 2003: Tobacco Use Supplement
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04528.xml

4679 Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS): Wave 1, 2001
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04679.xml

4687 Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2005: Diary Survey
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04687.xml

20103 Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2005: Interview Survey and Detailed Expenditure Files
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/20103.xml

20302 Transatlantic Trends Survey, 2006
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/20302.xml

20702 Woman and Child Wage Earners, 1907 [Massachusetts, North Carolina, Chicago, and New York City]
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/20702.xml

21580 The Microfinance Revolution: An Overview
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/21580.xml

21581 A Primer on the Mortgage Market and Mortgage Finance
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/21581.xml

21582 Changing Trends in the Labor Force: A Survey
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/21582.xml

Updates

2174 ABC News O.J. Simpson Jury Poll, February 1997
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/02174.xml

3090 British Social Attitudes Survey Panel Study, 1983-1986
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/03090.xml

6948 Vital Statistics: Marriage Detail [United States], 1990
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/06948.xml

7868 British Election Study: February 1974, Cross-Section
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/07868.xml

8847 ABC News/Washington Post Poll, June 1987
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/08847.xml

9611 ABC News/Washington Post Poll, June 1991
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/09611.xml

20520 Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (CILS), 1991-2006
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/20520.xml

21240 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2006
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/21240.xml

You can also view a list of all studies added and updated in the last ninety days by visiting the ICPSR Web site at
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/ICPSR/access/recent.html.

Posted by ronbo at 09:35 PM

From ANES list: ANES Annoucement: The 7-day Comments Period Has Begun

Today begins the 7-day period in which you can help us evaluate the many new proposals that have been put forward for upcoming American National Election Studies (ANES) surveys.

Between now and January 22, we ask that you make a small, but important contribution to the quality of the 2008 ANES surveys by offering advice that we and the proposals authors' can use to increase the effectiveness of our questionnaires. We are most interested in comments that can increase the range of hypothesis tests in which particular questions can be used.

At the end of this letter are the lists of the proposals we have received. You can read the full proposals in the Online Commons at:
http://www.electionstudies.org

If you can comment on even one of these proposals, it will help future users of the ANES a great deal.

Please note that at the conclusion of the one-week comment period, proposal authors will then have an additional week to revise their proposals in response to any comments that you offer. So this is a moment where your advice can make a big difference. In addition, the ANES PIs and Board of Overseers will make extensive use of your comments when they select questions for inclusion on the survey.

All comments must be made through the Online Commons. If you would like to make a comment and are not yet an OC member, signing up is easy. All it takes is filling out a simple form at:
http://www.electionstudies.org/onlinecommons.htm

The new 2008 ANES Time Series Study has the potential to help scholars examine electoral dynamics in an unprecedented way. Please take a moment to help ANES make the most effective use of this great opportunity.

We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity to make a productive contribution to the development of the ANES surveys.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,

Jon A. Krosnick and Arthur Lupia
Principal Investigators

2008 ANES TIME SERIES STUDY: NOT IN THE CORE PROPOSALS:

01. "Native Born or Naturalized Americans" by user "Jimbo"
02. "Monetary Recruitment and the Rise of Internet Fundraising" by users "Wiley" and "pollock"
03. "Interviewer-coded items" by user "clawson"
04. "From Online Newspapers to YouTube: Examining Exposure to Internet Sources”" by users "ttowner" and "ddulio"
05. "Religion and Electoral Behavior" by users "mockabee", "kenwald" and and "dleege"
06. "Three ideas: titles, turnout modeling, cell phone users" by user "spinkus01"
07. "General Incentives Models of Turnout: ANES & BES" by user "hclarke01"
08. "Political Alienation" by users "javeline" and "bairdv"
09. "The Role of Collective Political Efficacy" by users "Markmann", "Constanzebeierlein", "Preiser" and "Wermuth"
10. "Internet Blog Usage and Political Participation" by user "rlreed"
11. "Why Do Parties Distribute Particularistic Goods?" by users "jordangansmorse", "sebastian.mazzuca" and "nichters"
12. "Character Judgments and Voting Behavior" by user "dcm23"
13. "Threat Perceptions and Charisma" by users "merolla" and "ejzech"
14. "A Better Way to Measure Prospective Economic Evaluations" by users "KMichelitch", "marco_morales", "andrewowen" and "jtucker"
15. "Measuring Knowledge and Attitudes about the Electoral College" by users "ShaunBowler", "ToddDonovan" and "karpjeffrey"
16. "Independents, Leaners and Partisanship" by users "ShaunBowler", "ToddDonovan", "karpjeffrey" and "DavidLanoue"
17. "Including 'Propensity to vote' questions in the ANES time series" by users "Franklin" and "SamAbrams"
18. "Wealth and Electoral Behavior" by user "tdeluca"
19. "Issue Scales in the 2008 Election Study" by users "stuart" and "rabinowitz"
20. "Understanding Trust in Government" by users "nes user" and "dlplane"
21. "Systematic Misrepresentation of Political Polarization" by users "andrewgelman", "david.chungpark" and "ejuliast"
22. "Gender and Race in American Elections" by users "kdolan" and "Kira Sanbonmatsu"
23. "Election Integrity" by user "HeleniT"
24. "Civic Skills and Contacting" by users "Verba", "Schlozman" and "nburns"
25. "Institutional Legitimacy in the United States" by users "legitimacy", "MargaretLevi" and "audreysacks"
26. "Effects of decision to vote on other household members" by user "cfinn"
27. "Measuring Commitment to Economic Equality" by user "suhay"

2008 ANES TIME SERIES STUDY: CHANGES IN THE CORE PROPOSALS:

01. "Cognitive and Affective Partisanship" by user "klofstad"
02. "Media Use Measures for the ANES 2008 Time Series Study" by users "salthaus" and "tewksbur"
03. "Moral Foundations Questions" by users "aperrin" and "vaisey"
04. "Internet User Definitions and New Communications Channels" by user "EvansWitt"
05. "Measuring Issues with Open-Ended Questions" by user "RePass"
06. "Measuring Attitudes toward Candidates" by user "RePass"
07. "Gender and Race in American Elections" by users "kdolan" and "Kira Sanbonmatsu"
08. "Method of Registration and Its Impact on Turnout" by users "ReneeParadis" and "kahlilw"
09. "Proposal to Modify ANES 2008 Items" by user "Prysby"

2008 ANES TIME SERIES STUDY: BONUS MINUTES PROPOSALS

01. "Religious Identity" by users "bphillips" and "Saxe"
02. "Race, Gender, and Policy" by users "nburns" and "DRK"

TERRORISM AND HOMELAND SECURITY PROPOSALS:

01. "Items used in TESS survey and/or Palestinian survey for consideration for ANES" by users "Moskalenko" and "cmccaule"
02. "Collective Memory of 9/11 and Public Opinion of Counter-Terrorism:" by user "cbail"
03. "Public attitudes about terrorism, natural disasters, risk perception and preparedness" by user "Bill8008"
04. "Fear of crime and terrorism as it relates to political affiliation and voter turnout" by users "fayewachs" and "stacymcgoldrick"
05. "Emotional Responses to Potential Threats" by user "hlench"
06. "Public attitudes towards technology and perception of terrorist attacks" by users "hbalyssa" and "kbuerkle"
07. "Individual and Government/Emergency Preparedness" by user "Keith"
08. "Proposed National Survey Question" by user "rejali01"
09. "Political views and funding homeland security policy" by users "carolm" and "Kerry Smith"

Posted by ronbo at 08:56 PM

Roper Center Data Acquisitions Update, November-December 2007

Stanford University Libraries maintains a membership to the Roper Center and Stanford faculty, staff, and students can now download data directly accessible via Roper Express. For instructions on requesting data not available via Roper Express, click on the "Data Services - Roper" link on our SSDS web site.

This month the Roper Update (pdf) for the months of November and December contains:

• Chicago Council on Foreign Relations, East Asia Institute, and Lowry Institute for International Affairs: Public Opinion and Foreign Policy of the U.S., China and India Poll conducted by Knowledge Networks, June 9-July 21, 2006 on 6,359 adult residents of the United States, China and India.

• 14 new CBS News and New York Times polls conducted from January-September, 2007.

• 5 new Public Agenda Foundation polls conducted from 1998-2000.

• 9 new Gallup Organization polls including 3 USA Today polls conducted from August-October, 2007 and 6 new Gallup News Service polls conducted from April-October, 2007.

These notices have been archived on the Roper Center website at:
http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/data_access/data/past_data_announcements.html

If you have any questions about these data collections please do not hesitate to contact the Roper Center at rcweb@ropercenter.uconn.edu.

Posted by ronbo at 08:39 PM

From ACS (American Community Survey) Alert, Number 55 - ACS 2006 Production Summary File Now Available

The ACS 2006 Production Summary File recently was released on the ACS web site and FTP. The file covers detailed tables from the 2006 ACS data releases. Documentation is provided as part of the release for this data product. This Summary File release incorporates many of the comments and suggestions we received in response to our release of the prototype ACS
Summary File in January 2007.

Information about the ACS Summary File may be found at:
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/UseData/sf/acs_summary_file.htm

The ACS is a key component of the Census Bureau’s 2010 Decennial Census Program, which also consists of early planning and modernization of geographic operations and a short-form only for the 2010 Census.

If you have questions or comments about the American Community Survey,please call (888) 346-9682 or e-mail cmo.acs@census.gov.

Posted by ronbo at 08:08 PM

January 10, 2008

mrInterview Demonstration

Feb 19, 2008
United States
Begins at: 1 p.m. CT
Duration: 45 minutes

Now Conduct Real, Industrial-Strength, Real-Time, Online Survey Research

To maximize response and collect the most reliable data for business planning, today’s researchers must be able to create and administer surveys quickly and easily. Businesses around the world meet and exceed this challenge with mrInterview, a complete data collection solution for managing large or small web-based projects with maximum efficiency.

SPSS’ mrInterview allows businesses to fully engage with customers, prospects, employees, suppliers, and more; and to use the data and insights gathered throughout the organization for reporting, planning, and prediction. All this, without sacrificing the sophistication that professional researchers rely on.

Unlike many Web survey options available, mrInterview includes the security, access, permissions and features you need to easily create and administer surveys and report on data through a web browser (or company server). It can also be used for phone, paper, text message, and IM modes.

This online seminar will show you how to begin your survey project on the Web and work online through the entire project including:

How you can author surveys without any programming knowledge and even from a MS Word document
How to create surveys through an integrated online toolkit
How to give your online surveys greater visual appeal, keeping respondents fully engaged
How you can conduct research in any language
How to report on real-time respondent data
How to export respondent data to other reporting packages
And more!

Register now, and discover how easy it is to have the versatile and scalable survey power your organization needs to guide its crucial business decisions.

Click here to view the presentation

Posted by yan at 11:05 PM

Desktop Reporter Demonstration

Jun 4, 2008
United States
Begins at: 1 p.m. CT
Duration: 45 minutes

Discover how to create and distribute reports for internal and external clients with the newest tool from the Dimensions™ product line (SPSS' complete survey research platform).

By viewing this presentation you’ll learn how to:

Access data from a number of different software applications
Filter, group, and rearrange variables
Create tables that include descriptive information to aid viewers in interpreting results
Export tables to Microsoft® Office applications as text or HTML

Find out more, visit the organizer Web site: http://www.spss.com/desktop_reporter/

Posted by yan at 11:05 PM

SPSS Text Analysis for Surveys demonstration

Jun 3, 2008
United States
Begins at: 11:00 a.m. CT
Duration: 45 minutes

Maximize survey research value with open text responses.

Gather interested co-workers and register now for this SPSS survey research software demonstration. You’ll discover:

How to turn text into quantitative data
How to save even more time by automating the creation of categories and the coding of responses
How to uncover category relationships using visualizations such as bar charts and tables
How to export results to Excel, SPSS or other software for analysis
And more!

Find out how easy it is to capture the power of text responses for your survey research.

Find out more, visit the organizer Web site: http://www.spss.com/textanalysis_surveys/

Posted by yan at 11:04 PM

ICPSR Announces Launch of QualAnon

DSDR (Data Sharing for Demographic Rsearch) announces the availability of a new Web based tool to assist in the anonymization of qualitative data. In collaboration with Susan Watkins at the University of Pennsylvania and ICPSR CNS programmer Peggy Overcashier, we have developed a Web based program that streamlines the process of removing or changing identifiers in qualitative data.

The program, QualAnon, takes a user-generated name key to replace identified names with pseudonyms. It has several options, including the option to have an annotated document created that identifies where specific changes have been made in the document. The program also creates a summary report that specifies the number of times a specific name has been replaced. In addition, QualAnon has a "batch" option that allows the users to anonymize several documents at once by uploading multiple documents as a Zip file using one corresponding name key.

Access QualAnon

QualAnon is a tool to assist in the removal of identifiers in qualitative research. It is not intended to replace the researcher's role in reducing disclosure risk and minimizing breach of respondent confidentiality.

Posted by ronbo at 09:21 PM

ICPSR Undergraduate Research Paper Competitions - Papers Due Jan 31!

ICPSR is sponsoring two undergraduate research paper competitions for the 2007/2008 academic year. The first competition, sponsored by the general archive at ICPSR, requires a research paper supported by quantitative analysis of any dataset(s) held within the ICPSR archive or any of its special topic archives.

The second competition is sponsored by the Minority Data Resource Center (MDRC). The paper must address issues relevant to underrepresented minorities in the United States including immigrants, and data must be drawn from the MDRC. A separate committee will be formed to judge this competition.

With the exception of the dataset and topic requirements, the competitions are identical in awards, eligibility, and preparation requirements.

The purpose of these competitions is to highlight the best undergraduate student research papers using quantitative data. The objective is to encourage undergraduates to explore the social sciences by means of critical analysis of a topic supported by quantitative analysis of a dataset(s) held within the ICPSR archives and presented in written form.

· Up to three cash prizes will be awarded for each competition. The winner will receive a monetary award of $1,000. Second place receives $750 and third place $500.

· Deadline for submission is January 31, 2008.

More details can be found at: http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/prize/.

Posted by ronbo at 08:19 PM

ICPSR 2008 Summer Internship Program

The Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), the world's largest archive of digital social science data, is now accepting applications for its annual summer internship program. ICPSR is a unit within the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. ICPSR's data are the foundation for thousands of research articles, reports, and books. Findings from these data are put to use by scholars, policy analysts, policy makers, the media, and the public. ICPSR's holdings span many substantive areas, such as sociology, political science, demography, history, economics, gerontology, public health, criminal justice, substance abuse and mental health, education, health and medical care, and international relations.

Program Structure:
Interns will work in the UNIX and Windows environments and gain experience using statistical programs such as SAS, SPSS, and Stata to check data. Data processing skills will be applied to prepare social science data for permanent archiving and distribution for secondary analysis; preserving respondent anonymity; and composing descriptions of data collections. These positions are supervised by an experienced Research Associate. Interns will attend courses in the ICPSR Summer Program in Quantitative Methods of Social Research. Interns will be required to attend a weekly Lunch and Lecture series that will expose them to various aspects and departments of ICPSR and the Institute for Social Research (ISR). There may be additional social and work-related functions involving other ICPSR staff and interns from other ISR units and summer programs.

Qualifications:
> Undergraduate standing and completion of sophomore year in a social science major. Typical social science majors include history, psychology, sociology, economics, political science, public policy, anthropology, geography, and criminal justice, but are not confined to the majors listed
> Strong academic credentials
> Knowledge of a statistical software package such as SPSS, SAS, or Stata
> Previous relevant social science research experience via work or class project
> Demonstrated leadership, problem solving, and strong verbal and written communication skills
> Ability to prioritize tasks, to work on multiple assignments, and to manage ambiguity
> Ability to work both independently and as part of a team with professionals at all levels
> Authorization to work in the United States

Timeframe:
The internship program will last 10 weeks from June 9, 2008 to August 15, 2008.

Compensation:
$3,000 stipend, room & board in university housing, and coverage of the cost of fees, texts, and materials for coursework in the ICPSR Summer Program in Quantitative Methods of Social Research.

Application Procedure:
Interested individuals should submit a cover letter of interest, resume, a writing sample, and two letters of recommendation (all in one packet or message, if applying by electronic mail) to ICPSR Human Resources, Attention: Summer Internship Program, P.O. Box 1248, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106-1248 or careers@icpsr.umich.edu.

The application deadline is January 28, 2008. Notifications will be made by March 7, 2008.

Posted by ronbo at 02:45 PM

January 09, 2008

From SPSS: Clementine demonstration

Mar 20, 2008
United States
Begins at: 1:00 p.m. CT
Duration: 45 minutes

By viewing this demonstration you’ll learn how to:

* Create profiles and multiple modeling techniques to predict customer behavior
* Deploy results in real-time to the right people
* Easily integrate Clementine into your existing systems

Posted by ronbo at 09:16 PM

From IES Newsflash: Data File and Documentation for the Academic Library Survey (ALS) Data File: 1996

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has just released the Data File and Documentation for the Academic Library Survey (ALS) Data File: 1996 (Public Use) (NCES 2008-318).

The documentation and data file are available for downloading at
http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/libraries/aca_data.asp

For more information about this and other library surveys, please go to the Library Statistics Program home page at
http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/libraries/

Posted by ronbo at 06:52 PM

ANES annoucement: Only 6 days left to propose questions

There is only one week left to propose questions for inclusion on upcoming American National Election Studies (ANES) surveys!

1) The 2008 ANES Time Series
You may submit a proposal for questions to be included in the 2008 ANES Time Series face-to-face presidential election study. The time series continues a string of interviews that began in 1948. We are accepting two kinds of proposals: changes to the ANES "core" questions (the set of questions that the ANES Time Series asks repeatedly over time) and changes to the rest of the survey (including proposals to capture opinions and attitudes that are especially relevant to the November 2008 presidential and congressional elections).

2) Terrorism and Homeland Security
We are also running a special competition in cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security. For that competition, we are accepting proposals pertinent to the intersection between elections and DHS emphases on terrorism, natural disasters, risk perception, and preparedness. Questions from successful proposals in this competition can be included on the 2008-2009 ANES Panel Study and/or the 2008 ANES Time Series study.

We accept proposals through the ANES Online Commons. Please go to its website to get more information about these opportunities: http://www.electionstudies.org/onlinecommons.htm

The ANES Online Commons will continue to accept these proposals until 3:00pm Eastern Time (noon Pacific Time) on January 15, 2008.

The Online Commons will remain open for two additional weeks thereafter to allow commentary and revision of the proposals.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,
Jon Krosnick and Arthur Lupia
Principal Investigators
American National Election Studies (ANES)

Posted by ronbo at 06:45 PM

January 08, 2008

From IES Newsflash: NEW REPORT! Mathematics Coursetaking and Achievement at the End of High School: Evidence from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has just released the report "Mathematics Coursetaking and Achievement at the End of High School: Evidence from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002)"

This report documents and examines the relationship between the number and types of math courses taken in the 11th and 12th grade and growth in mathematics proficiency over the same time period. Using data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002), the analysis identifies the coursetaking sequences most prevalent among contemporary high school students in their junior and senior years, sociodemographic characteristics of the students who follow these course sequences, and the association between specific courses and course sequences and mathematics gains over the last two years of high school. Because most students (94 percent) entered the second half of high school with a mastery of basic mathematics skills such as simple arithmetic and operations, most learning during this time was in intermediate-level mathematics skills and concepts. For example, the percentage of students with an understanding of simple problem solving skills grew from 53 to 65 percentage points over the two year period. In terms of learning in specific content areas, the largest gains in intermediate skills such as simple operations and problem solving were made by those who followed the geometry-algebra II sequence. The largest gains in advanced skills such as derivations and making inferences from algebraic expressions were made by students who took precalculus paired with another course. The smallest gains were made by students who took one mathematics course or no mathematics courses during their last 2 years.

To view, download and print the report as a pdf file, please visit:
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2008319

Posted by ronbo at 04:00 PM

Selections from ESRI Higher Education E-news, January 2008

EdCommunity Portal - The Data Tab

The EdCommunity Portal is a collaboration zone for educators and students. Navigation tabs at the top of the portal quickly point you to community links and online resources. For example, the Data tab will help you access geographic content and GIS services available through

* ArcWeb Online (hosted by ESRI and powered by ArcGIS Server)
* ArcIMS Data Services (hosted by ESRI and others)
* ArcWeb Services for Students and Educators
* Business Analyst Online for Education
* Data Downloads
* ESRI Data & Maps (media that comes with ArcGIS products)

Learn more.

Support and Training News

Patches and service packs for ArcGIS software are available online. Current service packs include ArcGIS 9.2 Service Pack 4, which contains performance improvements and maintenance fixes. Install this service pack to ensure the highest-quality experience when working with ArcGIS 9.2.

Download ArcGIS 9.2 Service Pack 4.

New Self-Study Courses Available

Introduction to Using HAZUS-MH to Assess Losses from a Riverine Flood Hazard
This Web course explains the process of defining a riverine flood hazard and performing a loss estimation using Hazards U.S. Multi-Hazard (HAZUS-MH). This course focuses on the two options that require the least amount of user input: defining a flood hazard based on a return period and defining a flood hazard based on a stream discharge.

Introduction to GIS Data ReViewer
This course introduces GIS Data ReViewer and some of the tools it provides for reviewing data quality with visual checks. Students learn techniques for systematically reviewing data, recording errors, and creating notepad feature sketches as well as how GIS Data ReViewer can automate spatial and attribute checks. The course covers how to take advantage of data sampling and manage the review cycle.

Note: These courses will be included in all higher education standard subscriptions.

Posted by ronbo at 03:11 PM

January 07, 2008

ICPSR Data User Help Center Launched!

ICPSR is pleased to announce the beta launch of the ICPSR Data User Help Center! - http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/ICPSR/help/datausers/

This online resource provides a variety of tutorials designed to help data users with using ICPSR data and related resources. Its overall goal is to provide data users with comprehensive answers, 24 hours a day/7 days a week, to the most common problems they experience.

Moreover, the help center provides several media options to accommodate different learning styles including those who learn best by using video, audio, or print-out instructions. In addition, PowerPoint presentations of the tutorials are available for individuals who find it necessary to take groups through the tutorials.

Links to the Data User Help Center can be found under the Help tab and the Data tab on the ICPSR Web site - http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/ICPSR/

While help center is still under construction and will undergo continuous updating and populating, it currently contains tutorials on reading data (ASCII files) into statistical programs including SPSS, SAS, and Stata, as well as a few other tutorials. These tutorials were prioritized for development since they are the most frequent problems supported by the ICPSR User Support group.

A special thanks to Sue Hodge, ICPSR User Support, for developing and narrating the tutorials!

As the academic terms draws to a close and help resources for your data users may be scarce for the next few weeks, we thought this an appropriate time to draw your attention to this new and growing resource.

Happy Holidays!

Posted by ronbo at 08:22 PM

Roper Center Newsletter, January 2008

As you may already know, the Roper Center and LexisNexis have parted ways and the topline survey results LN provided from the Roper Center will no longer be available through LexisNexis. The Roper Center will continue to offer the enhanced version of that service through iPOLL and RoperExpress. Please, let us know how we might service your public opinion needs.

Topics at a Glance!--"Mood of America"
http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/cgi-bin/hsrun.exe/roperweb/pom/pom.htx;start=HS_special_topics?Topic=mood

How do you feel about your personal finances? What about terrorism and war? How are economic conditions, and the status of the country? Find out how others feel about this topic and more in this month's Topic at a Glance--Mood of America!

Based on a new topic each month, TAG offers a generous free sampling of related polling data and details of survey datasets held by the Roper Center, along with articles previously published in Public Perspective magazine.

Experience the depth of information housed in the Roper Center archives - The complete list of "Topics at a Glance!" http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/cgi-bin/hsrun.exe/Roperweb/pom/pom.htx;start=HS_pom_list

Newly spotlighted datasets http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/cgi-bin/hsrun.exe/roperweb/Catalog40/Catalog40.htx;start=HS_surveyspot
Updated as of January 2, 2008

Special studies of interest recently added to iPOLL. The database now contains nearly a half million questions!
http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/data_access/ipoll/ipoll.html

Title: AARP Preparation for Retirement: The Haves and Have-Nots Survey [November,2006]
Source: Survey by AARP.
Methodology: Conducted by Harris Interactive during November, 2006 and based on telephone interviews with a national employed financial decision-makers age 21-70 sample of 1,001. Employed financial decision-makers are those employed/their spouse is employed and they have never/their spouse has never participated in a defined benefit retirement plan and they are the primary or shared decision-maker regarding financial decisions in the household. The sample included the "Haves"-who participate in a 401 (k) or 403 (b) plan and or have a spouse that participates in one, and the "Have-Nots"-495 respondents who lack access to a retirement savings plan through their/their spouse's employer. The responses of the "Haves" and "Have-Nots" are shown separately for most of the questions.
Search for: Searched iPOLL for: 'retire%'; Organization 'AARP'; Date: '11/01/2006 to 11/30/2006'

Title: Kaiser/Harvard/NPR Children's OTC Medicines: The Public, Parents, Weigh In Survey [November,2007]
Source: Survey by Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, Harvard School of Public Health, National Public Radio.
Methodology: Conducted by ICR-International Communications Research, November 15-November 25, 2007 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult including an oversample of parents of children under age 6 sample of 1,522. Interviews were conducted November 15-20 and 25, 2007. Results are weighted to be representative of a national adult population.
Search for: Searched iPOLL for: Organization: 'Harvard School of Public Health', Date; '11/15/2007 to 11/25/2007'

Title: VCU Life Sciences Survey [November,2007]
Source: Survey by Virginia Commonwealth University Life Sciences.
Methodology: Conducted by Center for Public Policy, Virginia Commonwealth University, November 26-December 9, 2007 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult sample of 1,000. Interviews were conducted by Schulman, Ronca & Bucuvalas.
Search for:

Title: AARP Keeping the Faith: Spirituality and Religion Among Hispanics Age 40+ [February,2007]
Source: Survey by AARP.
Methodology: Conducted by QSA Research, February 23-March 13, 2007 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult hispanics age 40 and over sample of 1,000.
Search for:

Title: Harvard School of Public Health/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Tobacco Survey [February,2006]
Source: Survey by Harvard School of Public Health, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Methodology: Conducted by ICR-International Communications Research, February 17-March 5, 2006 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult sample of 1,076.
Search for: Searched iPOLL for: Organization: 'Harvard School of Public Health'; Date: '02/17/2006 to 03/05/2006'

Title: Harvard School of Public Health/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Addiction Prevention and Treatment Survey [April,2006]
Source: Survey by Harvard School of Public Health, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Methodology: Conducted by ICR-International Communications Research, April 11-April 15, 2006 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult sample of 1,112.
Search for: Searched iPOLL for: Organization: 'Harvard School of Public Health'; Date: '04/11/2006 to 04/15/2006'

Title: Harvard School of Public Health/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Vulnerable Populations Survey [June,2006]
Source: Survey by Harvard School of Public Health, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Methodology: Conducted by ICR-International Communications Research, June 21-June 26, 2006 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult sample of 1,100.
Search for: Searched iPOLL for: Organization: 'Harvard School of Public Health'; Date: '06/21/2006 to 06/26/2006'

Additional resources - Web sites with special survey samples

Survey Research Center in the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan Monitoring the Future Survey of Youth
http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/

American Jewish Committee 2007 Annual Survey of Jewish American Jewish Opinion
http://www.ajc.org/site/c.ijITI2PHKoG/b.3642849/

Public Agenda Foundation and The National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality Lessons Learned: New Teachers Talk About Their Jobs, Challenges, and Long Range Plans
http://www.publicagenda.org/lessonslearned2/

Posted by ronbo at 07:22 PM

Recent ICPSR updates and additions - New Releases through 2008-01-06

Below is a list of new data collection additions to the ICPSR data archive along with a list of released data collections that have been updated:

New Additions

4665 ABC News 9/11 Anniversary Poll, September 2006
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04665.xml

20700 Woman and Child Wage Earners: Adrift, 1907 [New York City and Philadelphia]
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/20700.xml

20701 Birthweight Data From the Philadelphia Almshouse Hospital, 1848-1873
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/20701.xml

20720 Woman and Child Wage Earners: Married Women, 1907 [Massachusetts, North Carolina, Chicago, New York City, and Philadelphia]
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/20720.xml

20721 Woman and Child Wage Earners: Working Women in New York City Living at Home, 1907
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/20721.xml

21120 Japan 2000 National Survey on Family and Economic Conditions (NSFEC)
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/21120.xml

Updates

9693 Census of Population and Housing, 1980 [United States]: Extract Data
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/09693.xml

9694 Census of Population and Housing, 1970 [United States]: Extract Data
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/09694.xml

You can also view a list of all studies added and updated in the last ninety days by visiting the ICPSR Web site at
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/ICPSR/access/recent.html.

Posted by ronbo at 07:20 PM

From IES Newsflash: Dig Deeper Into NAEP Data!

Did you know that you can use the NAEP Data Explorer (NDE) to investigate various aspects of a topic in NAEP reports? For an example, take a look at the Inside NAEP section now on the home page at
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/

Here, you can click a link to look at the NAEP variable concerning mathematics courses taken by students during the testing period. The linked graph shows the percentage of students taking each course. Below that graph, you will find a link to the NDE where you can create the other graphs described in the Inside NAEP series, and many more. To get an idea of the helpful perspectives to be gained by exploring the data in this way, please take a look at the examples created for you in Inside NAEP.

There is a tutorial to teach you how to use the NDE at
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/nde/tutorial/NDE_tutorial.asp?context=&slide=

Use other NAEP tools to look at the data:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/itmrls/
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/states/
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/nde/statecomp/

Posted by ronbo at 07:17 PM

January 04, 2008

From IES Newsflash: New Year Brings 2008 NAEP Assessments

In 2008, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) will continue conducting the long-term trend assessment, which has measured students' progress in mathematics and reading since the early 1970s. For selected nine-year-old students, the assessment period runs from January 7 to March 14, 2008. From March 17 to May 23, 2008, students at age 17 will take the assessments. Students at age 13 took the assessments in October through December 14, 2007. Results from these assessments in public and private schools throughout the nation will be reported in 2009. Read about the long-term trend assessment:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/ltt/

Learn why the full participation of all the selected schools and students is crucial to the success of this important assessment:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/natimportant.asp
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/parents/importance.asp

From January 28 through March 7, 2008, selected eighth-graders across the nation will be assessed in the arts, specifically in music or visual arts. The previous NAEP arts assessment was conducted a decade ago; read about it at:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/arts/

Field tests for upcoming national and state assessments will also be held during this period.

For online resources with more information about NAEP, see the new NAEP home page:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/

Parents of students participating in the assessment can find answers to frequently asked questions:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/parents/

Learn how to use the NAEP data tools that help you understand the results of NAEP assessments:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/naeptools.asp

Posted by ronbo at 04:19 PM

From MAPSS list: Get a Certificate in Social Science Methodology - Sign Up For MAPSS!

When you go on the job market, would you like a certification to accompany your degree, confirming that you have special expertise in social science research methodology?

This is now possible, thanks to the new Certificate in Social Science Methodology program created by the Stanford MAPSS program.

The MAPSS graduate certificate will recognize and “credentialize” your advanced cross-disciplinary training in research methods, either quantitative or qualitative or both.

The certificate is easy to get: just sign up now by proposing a tentative set of courses to fulfill the requirements, enroll in the MAPSS colloquium series this winter (COMM 310/ POLISCI 402), and see what it is like by coming to this week's MAPSS talk.

Posted by ronbo at 04:13 PM

From MAPSS list: Thomas Lumley on Complex Samples Jan 8th

MAPSS (Methods of Analysis Program in the Social Sciences) kicks off the winter quarter with renowned Biostatistician Thomas Lumley who will be discussing complex samples this Tuesday!

Tuesday, January 8th
12:00 PM
Education Building - Room 128

Some less boring aspects of data from complex samples

The 'survey' package in R provides a broad range of tools for analysing data from complex probability samples. It differs from most specialized survey software in providing more support for data exploration and regression modelling. It also differs from survey tools in most general-purpose statistical software in supporting calibration estimators and two-phase designs.

Two-phase designs are useful in subsampling from existing cohorts or panels and in representing missing data. Calibration estimators can make two-phase designs much more efficient without adding any modelling assumptions.

I will talk about the design of the survey package, about graphics for probability-weighted data, and about software and methodology for efficient design and analysis of two-phase samples from existing cohorts or panels.

---

Lunch will be served at 11:45 for those who have RSVP'd; the talks start at noon.

---

Thomas Lumley is an Associate Professor of Biostatistics at the University of Washington, and a member of the R Core Development Team. He has a PhD in Biostatistics from the University of Washington, an M.Sc. in Applied Statistics from Oxford, and a B.Sc(Hons) in Pure Mathematics from Monash University. His research interests relevant to social sciences include statistical computing and graphics, analysis of networks of two-sample comparisons, and model-robust estimation in semiparametric models, Bayesian models, and probability samples. He also works in cardiovascular epidemiology and pharmacogenomics.

For more information, please contact mapss-info@lists.stanford.edu.

Posted by ronbo at 03:51 PM

January 03, 2008

From IES Newsflash: The Nation's Report Card: Informe Técnico de la Evaluación NAEP de Matemáticas en Puerto Rico

In 2003, a trial NAEP mathematics assessment was administered in Spanish to public school students at grades 4 and 8 in Puerto Rico. Based on preliminary analyses of the 2003 data, changes were made in administration and translation procedures for the 2005 NAEP administration in Puerto Rico. This report describes the content and administration of the trial NAEP mathematics assessments in Puerto Rico in 2003 and 2005, problems with item misfit in the 2003 data, and results of a special validity analysis.

See the report summary at:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pubs/studies/2007462.asp
(la versión del informe en español está disponible aquí)

Find out more about the NAEP mathematics assessment in Puerto Rico at:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/puertorico/
and
http://nationsreportcard.gov/puertorico_2005/

See summaries of related reports, Mathematics 2003 and 2005 Performance in Puerto Rico-Highlights, at:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pubs/studies/2007459.asp
and
Mathematics 2005 Performance in Puerto Rico-Focus on the Content, at:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pubs/studies/2007460.asp

Posted by ronbo at 07:30 PM

From Census Product Update (12/28/2007): Hot Tip - Help with Export Codes

There are millions of trade transactions occurring each year. These transactions are classified under approximately 8,000 different products leaving the United States. Every item that is exported is assigned a unique 10-digit identification code. Every 10-digit item is part of a series of progressively broader product categories. The Census Bureau's web site offers several options for working with export codes. You can browse the chapters of the Schedule B book, search for a code by keyword, download the entire Schedule B book in ASCII format, or view obsolete codes which are no longer valid. Be sure to check out this handy resource!

Posted by ronbo at 07:28 PM