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

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August 29, 2008

QSR News: NVivo 8 is now available in Simplified Chinese and Spanish.

New global landscape for qualitative researchers with language releases

Date: 29 August 2008

NVivo 8 is now available in Simplified Chinese and Spanish. And that’s just the start. Today, QSR International CEO John Owen can reveal that, following on from the Japanese version of NVivo 7 released last year, a new Japanese version of NVivo 8 is due for release within weeks. Additional language versions are also under consideration.

Chinese and Spanish ‘firsts’

While NVivo has always been able to work with data in virtually any language, for the first time you can now switch seamlessly between Spanish, Simplified Chinese and English interfaces and support materials at any time, without affecting your project.

[full announcement at QSR web site]

Posted by yan at 10:26 AM

August 27, 2008

Roper Center Announcement - Call for Proposals to Add Questions to the 2010 GSS

For the 2010 General Social Survey(GSS) funds are expected from the National Science Foundation(NSF) to support added supplements. Proposals for topics for these NSF-funded modules are solicited from the social science community. The program is described at

Call for Proposals to Add Questions to the 2010 GSS.
http://www.norc.org/NR/rdonlyres/2E75FB22-4D36-474F-AA28-97D9A2C04B6C/998/CallforProposalstoAddQuestionstothe2010GSS.pdf

Please note the submission deadline of October 1, 2008

In addition, the GSS expects to have space available on the survey for modules not funded by NSF. Those who want to fund a paid supplement on the 2010 GSS should consult the document at "Guidelines for Paid Supplements to the GSS."

http://www.norc.org/NR/rdonlyres/2E75FB22-4D36-474F-AA28-97D9A2C04B6C/997/GuidelinesforPaidSupplementstotheGSS.pdf

If you have any questions about either program, please contact Tom W. Smith, GSS Director, smitht@norc.uchicago.edu

Posted by ronbo at 05:57 PM

Roper Center Data Acquisitions Update, May-June 2008

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.

The May - June (pdf) update contains:

• National Leadership Index—The National Study of Confidence in Leadership 2007 and 2006 conducted by TSC, a division of Yankelovich, Inc. for Center for Public Leadership, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University/U.S. News & World Report.

• 8 new Kaiser Family Foundation studies conducted from 2007-2008.

• 3 new Newsweek studies conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International from March-April 2008.

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 05:49 PM

August 26, 2008

American Community Survey Alert, Number 58

(Released August 26, 2008)

U.S. Census Bureau Releases 2007 American Community Survey Data on Income, Poverty, and Earnings

The Census Bureau today released income, poverty, and earnings data from the 2007 American Community Survey (ACS), in conjunction with the Census Bureau's annual release of income, poverty, and health insurance data from the Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey.

These data and general information about today's release may be found at: http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/news_conferences/012515.html.

Data are again available for the nation, the 50 states and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, every congressional district and all counties, places, school districts, and metropolitan areas with populations of 65,000 or more.

The Census Bureau's Web site now contains guidance on comparing 2007 ACS data to 2006 ACS data, as well as comparing 2007 ACS data to Census 2000 data. This guidance may be found at: http://www.census.gov/acs/www/UseData/compACS.htm.

The ACS Web site recently was redesigned to make navigation easier and to help users find the information they need more quickly. Information aboutthe 2007 Data Release can be found at: http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/index.html.

Income, poverty, and earnings data from the 2007 ACS FTP site may be found at: http://www2.census.gov/acs2007_1yr/prod/.

Information about ACS data products and published geographies may be found at: http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/users_guide/.

All ACS data from years 2005 through 2007 may be found on the Census
Bureau's American FactFinder: http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DatasetMainPageServlet?_program=ACS&_submenuId=&_lang=en&_ts=

All of the ACS data products from 1996 through 2004, except Congressional Web Page and Fact Sheets, are archived on the ACS FTP site: http://www2.census.gov/acs/downloads/Core_Tables.

Today’s release also includes updates to our Errata Notes page, which may be found at: http://www.census.gov/acs/www/UseData/Errata.htm.

A Look Ahead – September 23, 2008 Release of 2007 ACS Social, Economic, Housing, and Demographic Data

On Sept. 23, 2008 the Census Bureau will release 2007 ACS social, economic and, housing characteristics, demographic and housing single-year estimates for areas with populations of 65,000 or more, and 2007 Public Use Microdata Samples (PUMS) single-year data for Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMA) with populations of 100,000 or more. The data will consist of:

*Educational attainment
*Industry
*Occupation
*Class of worker
*Journey to work
*Employment status
*Work status
*Veteran status
*Housing
*Households and families
*Marital status
*Migration

The first set of three-year estimates for data collected between 2005 and 2007 will be released in December. These include the first ACS estimates for areas with populations between 20,000 and 64,999.

***Contact Us

If you have questions or comments about the American Community Survey,
please call (800) 923-8282 or e-mail cmo.acs@census.gov.

Posted by ronbo at 01:19 PM

August 25, 2008

Recent ICPSR updates and additions - New Releases through 2008-08-24

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

4506 CBS News Monthly Poll #2, January 1996
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04506.xml

4513 CBS News Monthly Poll #5, October 1996
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04513.xml

21188 Impact of Information Security in Academic Institutions on Public Safety and Security in the United States, 2005-2006
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/21188.xml

21961 National Natality Followback Survey, 1964-1969
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/21961.xml

22740 Statewide Profile of Abuse of Older Women and the Criminal Justice Response in Rhode Island, 2002
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/22740.xml

22960 Natality Detail File, 2005 [United States]
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/22960.xml

Updates

4402 Nang Rong Projects [Thailand]
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04402.xml

6292 ABC News/Washington Post Poll, November 1993
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/06292.xml

6887 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, 1992
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/06887.xml

8264 Annual Housing Survey, 1979 [United States]: SMSA Files
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/08264.xml

8589 ABC News/Washington Post Poll, September 1985
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/08589.xml

9017 Annual Housing Survey, 1978 [United States]: SMSA File
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/09017.xml

9730 National Maternal and Infant Health Survey, 1988
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/09730.xml

21600 National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health),
1994-2002
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/21600.xml

22626 India Human Development Survey (IHDS), 2005
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/22626.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 02:35 PM

August 23, 2008

Stata book news: A Gentle Introduction to Stata, 2nd Edition

Alan Acock’s A Gentle Introduction to Stata, Second Edition is aimed at new Stata users who want to become proficient in Stata. After reading this introductory text, new users will not only be able to use Stata well but also learn new aspects of Stata easily.

Acock assumes that the user is not familiar with any statistical software. This assumption of a blank slate is central to the structure and contents of the book. Acock starts with the basics; for example, the portion of the book that deals with data management begins with a careful and detailed example of turning survey data on paper into a Stata-ready dataset on the computer. When explaining how to go about basic exploratory statistical procedures, Acock includes notes that should help the reader develop good work habits. This mixture of explaining good Stata habits and good statistical habits continues throughout the book.

[more from Stata's website: A Gentle Introduction to Stata, 2nd Edition]

Posted by yan at 11:02 PM

Introducing the New Semester 6 Month Student License for NVivo 8 & XSight

Students can now purchase a Semester 6 month License directly from Nvivo's website www.qsrinternational.com, NVivo 8 Semester $125 and XSight Semester $95.

Posted by yan at 10:55 PM

August 22, 2008

From ANES (American National Election Studies) list: An invitation to learn about exciting new research opportunities being offered by ANES

You are cordially invited to attend a public meeting of the American
National Election Studies at the APSA annual meeting in Boston!

We have a variety of new and exciting topics to update you on, including:

• outcomes of the Online Commons research proposals
• up-to-the-minute developments regarding the 2008-2009 Panel Study (which began data collection in January)
• up-to-the-minute developments regarding the 2008 Time Series Study
• information on the data release schedule for both the Panel and Time
Series Study
• an upcoming research conference regarding the use of open-ended measures

We will also report on collaborations with the Department of Homeland
Security, National Longitudinal Surveys, University of Texas, and
University of Washington that will result in rich new content and
analytical opportunities for ANES users.

After the updates will be a session where you are welcome to comment and pose questions of the PIs, Board of Overseers, and staff.

The public meeting is scheduled for 10am on Saturday, August 30th. We have been told that the location is to be the Boston Marriott Copley Place hotel, in the Falmouth room, but please be aware there may be a last minute change in room location.

We hope you can be there!

Jon A. Krosnick and Arthur Lupia
ANES Principal Investigators

Posted by ronbo at 04:15 PM

From Census Product Update - August 22, 2008: Download More Geographies Using Download Center

If you need access to a larger number of geographies than are available through the other parts of American FactFinder, Download Center may be your answer. Here, for a very large numbers of geographies, you can access just a few or even all tables from a particular data file in a zipped, pipe-delimited file. You can then work with the tables in a spreadsheet or other data program. Note that you are not given access to more types of variables, rather, you now just have access to a larger amount of geographies for the available variables. To access this powerful tool, from the Census home page, click American FactFinder, then click Download Center!

Posted by ronbo at 03:02 PM

August 21, 2008

Sign Up for the Methods of Analysis Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS)

Don't Forget to Sign Up for the Methods of Analysis Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS) when you choose your classes this upcoming quarter. We bring in distinguished researchers from across the social sciences to provide useful lessons on broadly applicable methods for data collection and analysis.

PoliSci 402 or Comm 310

MAPSS will be held each thursday from 12:15 to 1:30 PM in Bldg 200, Room 124 (History Corner) and Pizza will be served.

This quarter, MAPSS will be focusing on Hierarchical Linear Modeling and we will be working from first steps and theory through best practices. Speakers are still being lined up for the quarter and will be announced soon. As MAPSS is a colloquium, individuals are welcome to attend any lectures of interest regardless of registration (though individuals who do register are expected to attend).

You can also sign up for 3 quarters of MAPSS to get a Graduate Certificate in Social Science Methodology (additional social science methodology courses may be required). The certificate will demonstrate your methodological competence as you search for jobs when leaving Stanford. See the certificate page for more information (http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/cert/index.html).

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.

Archives

* 2007-2008 Fall colloquium series schedule
* 2006-2007 colloquium series schedule
* 2005-2006 colloquium series schedule

The Methods of Analysis Program in the Social Sciences is a program of the Institute for Research in the Social Sciences

Posted by ronbo at 06:44 PM

August 20, 2008

ICPSR Bulletin Goes Electronic

Dear ICPSR Friends and Colleagues,

The Fall 2008 Bulletin is now available at

http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/ICPSR/org/publications/bulletin/2008-Q3.pdf

In an effort to cut costs and reduce our environmental impact, the Bulletin will now be published in electronic format only.

Articles in this issue address contextual data: "ICPSR¹s New Resource for Multi-Level Analyses: County Characteristics, 20002007," by Alon Axelrod, and "The Scientific Value and Disclosure Risk of Contextual Data," by Kristine Witkowski.

Best Regards,

Ruth Shamraj
Editor
Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR)
University of Michigan
P.O. Box 1248, Ann Arbor, MI 48106
Voice: 734.615-7904
Fax: 734-647-8200
www.icpsr.umich.edu

Posted by ronbo at 03:03 PM

American Community Survey Alert, Number 57

(released August 20, 2008)

Informing you about news, events, data releases, congressional action, and other developments associated with the American Community Survey (ACS).

* A New Look for the ACS Website

The Census Bureau today released the first of several planned changes to the ACS Website. The redesign, implemented in part as a response to numerous requests from data users and stakeholders, includes a streamlined main page where information is logically grouped allowing users to find what they are seeking more quickly and efficiently.

A 2007 ACS Data Release page will feature the full 2007 ACS data release schedule and offer clearly-marked sections directing users to data products and guidance on making comparisons, information on using the 2007 data, and what’s new for 2007. Users should find it easier to navigate the ACS Website and to locate and access the information they need.

The updated Website may be viewed at: www.census.gov/acs.

** A Look Ahead – The First 2007 ACS Data

The Census Bureau will release income, poverty, and earnings data from the 2007 ACS, in conjunction with the Census Bureau's annual release of income, poverty, and health insurance data from the Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey on August 26, 2008. The second release of 2007 ACS data will occur on September 23.

***Contact Us

If you have questions or comments about the American Community Survey,
please call (800) 923-8282 or e-mail cmo.acs@census.gov.

Posted by ronbo at 02:28 PM

NCES Releases New Report: Findings From Community Colleges: A Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008

Community colleges enroll over one-third of America's college students, confer the majority of associate's degrees, and serve as a gateway to bachelor's degrees for many students, according to "Community Colleges: A Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008" report released today by the Institute of Education Sciences' National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

This Special Supplement to "The Condition of Education 2008" provides a profile of the more than 1,000 community colleges in the United States, examines the characteristics of students who entered community college directly from high school, and looks at rates of persistence and attainment among community college students in general. It also compares the characteristics of these public 2-year institutions, and of the students who enroll in them, with those of public and private 4-year colleges and universities.

Among the report's findings:

* Among high school seniors who enrolled immediately in a postsecondary institution in the fall of 2004, 30 percent enrolled in a community college.

* About two-thirds of these immediate community college enrollees reported that they planned to pursue a bachelor's degree or higher when they were still high school seniors; the other one-third reported that they expected an associate's degree or less would be their highest attainment.

* Community colleges enroll larger percentages of nontraditional, low-income, and minority students than 4-year colleges and universities.

* In fall 2006, about 62 percent of community college students were enrolled part time compared with a quarter of students at 4-year institutions.

* Compared to 4-year institutions, community colleges rely more heavily on part-time faculty and staff. In addition, compared with the faculty and staff at 4-year institutions, the main activity of a greater percentage of community college faculty and staff is teaching compared to research or administrative duties.

The full text of "Community Colleges: A Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008" (in HTML format) can be viewed at http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2008/analysis/

Posted by ronbo at 02:22 PM

August 19, 2008

SPSS webcast: What's New in SPSS Statistics 17.0

From SPSS - Events:

What's New in SPSS Statistics 17.0

Sep 11, 2008
United States
Begins at: 11 a.m. CT
Duration: 1 hour

Announcing the latest release of SPSS Statistics! Join us to get a good look at SPSS Statistics 17.0.

Attend this webcast to learn how you can benefit from the many new capabilities of SPSS Statistics 17.0. You’ll learn about:

The new multiple imputation procedure in SPSS Missing Values that helps you more easily complete datasets for more reliable analysis
An updated Syntax Editor so you can more easily create, test, and correct syntax
Improved integration with Microsoft® Office, making it easier to create cleanly formatted reports

You’ll also be introduced to new features and capabilities, such as:

The new SPSS EZ RFM™ module makes it easy for marketers to find their most valuable customers, using recency, frequency, and monetary value (RFM) analysis
A new Custom Dialog builder, which lets you create interfaces for new or existing procedures
The ability to integrate third-party applications and procedures, and graphics packages created in R, through updated “plug-ins”
Enhanced administrative tools that give IT greater control in configuring, monitoring, prioritizing, and optimizing client/server implementations of SPSS Statistics

SPSS Statistics 17.0 also offers new algorithms in SPSS Statistics Base and other modules, plus improved speed and performance with additional multithreaded procedures.

This webcast includes a live demonstration and Q&A session with SPSS experts. Don’t miss your chance to be among the first to see the new capabilities of SPSS Statistics 17.0.

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

Posted by yan at 08:14 PM

Stata Public training courses in San Francisco, September 25–26, 2008

From Stata:

Using Stata Effectively: Data Management, Analysis, and Graphics Fundamentals
Become intimately familiar with all three components of Stata: data management, analysis, and graphics. This two-day course is aimed at both new Stata users and those who would like to pick up tips for efficient day-to-day usage of Stata. (detailed description)

Length: 2 days

When:	September 25–26, 2008
Where:	San Francisco
Price:	$950. Enroll now
The enrollment deadline is September 18, 2008. Enrollment is limited to 24 participants.

For more details, visit Stata's website: Training: Public training courses

Posted by yan at 08:05 PM

New IES report from the National Center for Education Statistics: "Public School Graduates and Dropouts from the Common Core of Data: School Year 2005-06"

The National Center for Education Statistics within the Institute of Education Sciences has released the report "Public School Graduates and Dropouts from the Common Core of Data: School Year 2005-06."

This report presents the number of high school graduates, the Averaged Freshman Graduation Rate (AFGR), and dropout data for grades 9 through 12 for public schools in school year 2005-06. The counts of graduates, dropouts, and enrollments by grade (which serve as the denominators for the graduation and dropout rates) are from the Common Core of Data (CCD) nonfiscal surveys of public elementary/secondary education. These data represent high school graduates receiving regular diplomas for the 2005-06 school year and dropouts from the 2005-06 school year.

To view, download and print the report as a PDF file, please visit:
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2008353

Posted by ronbo at 09:41 AM

August 18, 2008

Recent ICPSR updates and additions - New Releases through 2008-08-17

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

4503 New York Times Women's Issues Poll, June 1989
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04503.xml

4512 CBS News/New York Times Presidential Election Poll #1, October 1996
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04512.xml

4707 Natality Detail File, 2004 [United States]
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04707.xml

4712 National Head Start/Public School Early Childhood Transition
Demonstration Study, 1991-1999
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04712.xml

20003 National Fertility Survey, 1970
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/20003.xml

22407 National Incident-Based Reporting System, 2006
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/22407.xml

22701 Ithaka 2006 Survey of US Academic Librarian Attitudes and Behaviors
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/22701.xml

23040 Building the RePass PTR Measure of Ideology
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/23040.xml

Updates

3031 National Incident-Based Reporting System, 1998
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/03031.xml

3209 Eurobarometer 54.1: Building Europe and the European Union, The
European Parliament, Public Safety, and Defense Policy, November- December 2000
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/03209.xml

3211 Eurobarometer 54.2: Impact of New Technologies, Employment and Social Affairs, and Disabilities, January-February 2001
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/03211.xml

4701 Welfare, Children, and Families: A Three-City Study
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04701.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 02:45 PM

August 15, 2008

Reminder: CSES short course at APSA

Dear CSES colleagues,

We want to remind you about the below CSES short course, which is being held later this month at the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association (APSA) in Boston. There are a few spots still available. If you or someone you know would like to attend, please send an email to "cses@umich.edu" and let us know. The short course is being held on Wednesday August 27, and there is no cost involved.

Best wishes,
-Dave
David Howell
Director of Studies, Comparative Study of Electoral Systems (CSES)

-----

American Political Science Association (APSA)
2008 Annual Meeting Short Course
Wednesday August 27, 2008
9:30am - 5:00pm

New Opportunities, New Challenges: The CSES Data Set
Electoral Research Using Data from the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems

Instructors:

John Aldrich, Duke University
André Blais, Université de Montréal
Matt Golder, Florida State University
Matthew Singer, University of Connecticut

Description:

John Aldrich and André Blais will begin with an introduction to the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems project (CSES; http://www.cses.org) and its data, along with some examples of it in use. Matt Golder and Matthew Singer will then address a variety of methodological issues, problems and potentials that arise from working with such data, using CSES Modules 1 and 2. The instructors will then work with the participants on issues and concerns that arise in their own research.

Goals for the participants:

A first goal is exposure and familiarization with a remarkably rich set of data newly available, with consideration of both its strengths and limitations. A second goal is to develop an appreciation of negotiating a dataset with macro and micro components and some contextual variation within nations, with the goal of generalization across nations. Thirdly, we intend to discuss methodological issues in using cross-national individual level data. Most important is the goal of developing an appreciation of the theoretical issues that arise in a series of surveys designed to advance our understanding of the practice of democracy through elections.

The afternoon will consist of direct consultation, with the instructors being available to discuss with participants their own related research projects.

Participants are invited to bring their laptops, equipped with their statistical package of choice, for use in the afternoon session. Internet access will not be available to participants - while CSES datasets will be made available on CD, if you already use CSES data please bring your datasets with you on your laptop.

Prerequisites:

Some statistical knowledge for analyzing large N data sets, some knowledge of a "standard" package, such as STATA, and some knowledge of CSES.

Registration:

Registration is required, as the class size is limited. To register, please send an email to: cses@umich.edu

When registering, participants are invited to provide a description of their current research projects using CSES data that they might like to use or discuss in the workshop setting. Suggestions of considerations participants would like to see addressed in the short course are welcomed.

Posted by ronbo at 02:18 PM

August 12, 2008

New IES report from the National Center for Education Statistics: "Parents' Reports of the School Readiness of Young Children from the National Household Education Surveys Program of 2007"

The National Center for Education Statistics within the Institute of Education Sciences has released the report "Parents' Reports of the School Readiness of Young Children from the National Household Education Surveys Program of 2007."

This descriptive report presents initial findings on the school readiness of young children, as reported by their parents, from the School Readiness Survey (PFI) of the 2007 National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES). It also incorporates basic demographic information about the population of children ages 3 to 6 who have not yet entered kindergarten, their parents'/guardians' characteristics, and the characteristics of the households in which they live. Topics covered include the participation of young children in preschool or other types of center-based care or education arrangements; parental plans for kindergarten enrollment and parents' beliefs about what they think they should do to prepare their children for school; children's developmental accomplishments and difficulties, including emerging literacy and numeracy skills; family activities with children in and outside of the home; and children's television-viewing habits.

To view, download and print the report as a PDF file, please visit:
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2008051

Posted by ronbo at 11:58 PM

News from Stata: An Introduction to Stata for Health Researchers (2nd Edition) is available

Svend Juul’s An Introduction to Stata for Health Researchers, Second Edition is distinguished in its careful attention to detail. The reader will learn not only how to use Stata but also the skills needed to create the reproducible analyses so necessary in the field.

The book is based on the assumption that the reader has some basic knowledge of statistics but no knowledge of Stata. It builds the reader’s abilities as a builder would build a house, laying a firm foundation in Stata, framing a general structure in which good work can be accomplished, and finally filling in details that are particular to various types of statistical analysis.

For more on the book, visit An Introduction to Stata for Health Researchers, 2nd Edition.

Posted by yan at 06:06 PM

August 11, 2008

Recent ICPSR updates and additions - New Releases through 2008-08-10

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

4497 New York Times Education Poll, February 1983
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04497.xml

21600 National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health),
1994-2002
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/21600.xml

22165 ABC News/Washington Post Poll, December 2006
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/22165.xml

22560 National Crime Victimization Survey, 2006 [Record-Type Files]
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/22560.xml

Updates

2165 ABC News Between Debates Horserace Poll, October 1996
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/02165.xml

2171 ABC News Media Poll, January 1997
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/02171.xml

3485 Immigrants Admitted to the United States, 1999
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/03485.xml

6128 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, 1991
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/06128.xml

7423 New Orleans Slave Sale Sample, 1804-1862
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/07423.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 03:24 PM

August 08, 2008

From Census Update - August 8, 2008: Hot Tip - Download Entire Data Sets in QuickFacts!

For many years, State and County QuickFacts has provided a convenient sampler of the range of data available at the county level from the Census Bureau. In addition to the simple one-area-at-a-time display, QuickFacts enables users to download the entire dataset in an ASCII .csv format! The QuickFacts download file provides many of the numbers in both percentage and raw form for easy analysis but full flexibility for comparisons and ranking. The download file contains data for the U.S., states, counties, and cities with 25,000 or more inhabitants. Don't overlook this valuable resource!

Posted by ronbo at 04:09 PM

August 06, 2008

New IES report from the National Center for Education Statistics: "Parent and Family Involvement in Education, 2006-07 School Year, from the National Household Education Surveys Program of 2007"

The National Center for Education Statistics within the Institute of Education Sciences has released the report "Parent and Family Involvement in Education, 2006-07 School Year, from the National Household Education Surveys Program of 2007."

This report presents initial findings from the Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey of the National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES). The NHES data were collected from January to May of 2007 through interviews with parents of students in kindergarten through grade 12. Selected findings include: approximately 54 percent of students in grades K through 12 had parents who reported receiving notes or e-mail from the school specifically about their child; some 83 percent of students had parents who received information about how to help with homework; 89 percent of students in grades K through 12 had parents who reported an adult member of the household had attended a general school meeting or a meeting of a parent-teacher organization or association (PTO/PTA) since the beginning of the school year; and 59 percent of students in grades K through 12 had parents who were "very satisfied" with their child's school, and 64 percent of students had parents who were "very satisfied" with their child's teachers that year.

To view, download and print the report as a PDF file, please visit:
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2008050

Posted by ronbo at 02:19 PM

Recent ICPSR updates and additions - New Releases through 2008-08-03

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

4508 CBS News Monthly Poll #1, March 1996
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04508.xml

21321 Current Population Survey: Annual Social and Economic (ASEC)
Supplement Survey, 2007
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/21321.xml

22168 Washington Post Poll: Maryland Elections Poll #2, October 2006
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/22168.xml

22481 Uniform Crime Reporting Program Data [United States]: Property Stolen and Recovered, 2006
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/22481.xml

22626 India Human Development Survey (IHDS)
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/22626.xml

22700 Ithaka 2006 Survey of US Higher Education Faculty Attitudes and
Behaviors
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/22700.xml

22746 National Crime Victimization Survey, 2005 [Record-Type Files]
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/22746.xml

22883 National Incident-Based Reporting System, 1998: Extract Files
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/22883.xml

22900 National Crime Victimization Survey, 2004 [Record-Type Files]
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/22900.xml

22901 National Crime Victimization Survey, 2003 [Record-Type Files]
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/22901.xml

22902 National Crime Victimization Survey, 2002 [Record-Type Files]
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/22902.xml

22920 National Crime Victimization Survey, 2001 [Record-Type Files]
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/22920.xml

22921 National Crime Victimization Survey, 2000 [Record-Type Files]
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/22921.xml

22922 National Crime Victimization Survey, 1999 [Record-Type Files]
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/22922.xml

22923 National Crime Victimization Survey, 1998 [Record-Type Files]
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/22923.xml

22924 National Crime Victimization Survey, 1997 [Record-Type Files]
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/22924.xml

22925 National Crime Victimization Survey, 1996 [Record-Type Files]
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/22925.xml

22926 National Crime Victimization Survey, 1995 [Record-Type Files]
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/22926.xml

22927 National Crime Victimization Survey, 1994 [Record-Type Files]
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/22927.xml

22928 National Crime Victimization Survey, 1993 [Record-Type Files]
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/22928.xml

22929 National Crime Victimization Survey, 1992 [Record-Type Files]
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/22929.xml

Updates

2835 National Pregnancy and Health Survey: Drug Use Among Women Delivering Live Births, 1992
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/02835.xml

3869 ABC News/Washington Post Poll, October 1994
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/03869.xml

4701 Welfare, Children, and Families: A Three-City Study
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/04701.xml

6178 ABC News/Washington Post Gays in the Military Poll, January 1993
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/06178.xml

8375 National Youth Survey [United States]: Wave I, 1976
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/08375.xml

9463 ABC News/Washington Post Middle East Poll, August 1990
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/09463.xml

9560 ABC News/Washington Post Poll, October 1990
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/09560.xml

9889 ABC News/NHK Japan Poll, November 1991
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/09889.xml

9941 ABC News/Washington Post Los Angeles Beating Poll, April 1992
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/09941.xml

22600 Global Terrorism Database II, 1998-2004
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR/STUDY/22600.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 02:18 PM