Social Science Data and Software (SSDS) Blog: Events Archives

April 13, 2009

From MAPSS: Luc Anselin - Spatial Data

The Methods of Analysis Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS) will hear from Arizona State University professor Luc Anselin this Thursday on new tools for the analysis of spatial data.

Pizza will be served outside Building 260, Room 113 at 12:10PM, talk starts at 12:20PM. (RSVP for food at https://iriss.stanford.edu/mapss_colloquium_signup).

Thursday, April 16th
12:10 PM
Building 260, Room 113
(Language Corner)

OpenGeoDa, PySAL and GeoDaSpace, new tools for the analysis of spatial data

The talk will introduce the latest software tools developed at the GeoDa Center at ASU, i.e., OpenGeoDa the open source and cross-platform version of GeoDa, PySAL, a software library for spatial analysis written in Python and GeoDaSpace, a specialized package for advanced spatial econometrics. It will focus on the motivation for the tools, methodological background and illustrate their features.

Luc E. Anselin is Foundation Professor of Geographical Sciences, Director of the School of Geographical Sciences and Interim Director of the School of Planning at Arizona State University. He is also Founding Director of the GeoDa Center for Geospatial Analysis and Computation at ASU. His Ph.D. in Regional Science is from Cornell University and he holds a Masters in Econometrics, Statistics and Operations Research from the Free University of Brussels, where he also obtained an undergraduate degree in Economics. Dr. Anselin's research deals with various aspects of spatial data analysis and geographic information science, ranging from exploratory spatial data analysis to geocomputation, spatial statistics and spatial econometrics, with substantive applications in regional economics, environmental economics, real estate economics as well as in epidemiology, criminology and political science. He is the developer of the SpaceStat and GeoDa software packages. He was elected a Fellow of the Regional Science Association International in 2004, obtained the Walter Isard Award in 2005, the William Alonso Memorial Prize in 2006 and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2008.

Don't Forget to Sign Up for the Methods of Analysis Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS) Colloquium 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

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 07:31 PM

April 08, 2009

From Stanford Software Licensing: Software Info: Upcoming Stanford Mathematica talk - April 17th

Mathematica: A Technical Overview

Come hear author and educator Paul Wellin talk about Mathematica 7 and beyond. See how Mathematica is used for everyday computation as well as high-performance computing from the bio-sciences, finance, engineering, and mathematics. Mathematica features include built-in parallel computing, image processing, information and data visualization, computable data sources, and much more.

Presenter Bio
Paul Wellin directs the Wolfram Education Group at Wolfram Research and is the author of several books on Mathematica, including one on programming and another on simulations. He founded, and was the Editor-in-Chief of, the journal Mathematica in Education and Research for its first five years. Prior to joining Wolfram Research in 1993, he taught mathematics at Sonoma State University.

When: April 17, 2009
Time: 2:00-3:30 p.m.
Where: Stanford University - Turing Auditorium, Polya Hall, Room 111, at 255 Panama Street

Posted by ronbo at 06:46 PM

From MAPSS: Joon Nak Choi - Think Tanks as Social Networks

The Methods of Analysis Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS) will hear from Sociology Ph.D. Candidate Joon Nak Choi this Thursday on the relationships between US think tanks as a social network.

Pizza will be served outside Building 260, Room 113 at 12:10PM, talk starts at 12:20PM. (RSVP for food at https://iriss.stanford.edu/mapss_colloquium_signup).

Thursday, April 9th
12:10 PM
Building 260, Room 113
(Language Corner)

Ideology, Interests and Imprinting in the U.S. Policymaking Elite: A Social Network Analysis of U.S. Think Tanks

Independent public policy research institutes, commonly called “think tanks”, exhibit a puzzling mix of ideological polarization and cross-ideology cooperation. An examination of the social network formed by think tank co-affiliations, like scholar exchanges and board interlocks, reveals that conservative and center-left think tanks form two largely-disconnected clusters. However, this gap is bridged by two center-right think tanks, including the Hoover Institution. This research proposes that this pattern is explained by the interaction between homophily and shared research interests, organizational imprinting, and ongoing resource dependencies. Regression analysis of the dyads linking the 52 think tanks that were most frequently cited in the U.S. Congress supports these theoretical propositions. This research supports the quantitative model proposed by Baldassari and Bearman (2007), and has implications for the efficacy of U.S. policymaking research.

Joon Nak Choi is a PhD Candidate in Sociology focusing on economic sociology and organizational behavior. His research interests center on the effects social networks have upon the financial sector (hedge funds) and the policymaking world (political parties, think tanks).

Don't Forget to Sign Up for the Methods of Analysis Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS) Colloquium 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. See the spring tentative schedule below.

PoliSci 402 or Comm 310

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 05:50 PM

March 11, 2009

No MAPSS This Week - Andy Gelman Next Week - Sign up for Spring Quarter

The Methods of Analysis Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS) will not be meeting this Thursday.

No MAPSS On Thursday, March 12th

Instead, join us for a special MAPSS Presentation:

Andrew Gelman
(Professor of Political Science and Statistics, Columbia University)

Will Present On Wednesday, March 18th
4:15 PM in Education Room 206

RSVP for food to https://iriss.stanford.edu/mapss_colloquium_signup

PoliSci 402 or Comm 310

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 05:59 PM

March 03, 2009

MAPSS - Ali Fogarty - Student Presentation: Rational Choice, Sexual Behavior

The Methods of Analysis Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS) has our final student presentation of the quarter with Sociology Ph.D. Candidate Ali Fogarty. She will be talking about rational choice and sexual behavior.

PLEASE NOTE THAT MAPSS WILL NOT MEET ON MARCH 12, BUT WILL BE HEARING FROM ANDREW GELMAN (Columbia University Professor of Political Science and Statistics and the newest contributor to fivethirtyeight.com) ON MARCH 19 (4:15pm in Education Rm 206).

Pizza will be served outside Building 530 - Room 127 at 12:10PM, talk starts at 12:20PM. (RSVP for food at https://iriss.stanford.edu/mapss_colloquium_signup)

Thursday, March 5th
12:10 PM
Building 530 - Room 127

(Building 530 is between Memorial Church and Tresidder)

Rational Choice, Sexual Behavior

This paper uses both rational choice and status based theories to predict sexual preferences and behavior among college students. Actors can gain status by engaging in a sexual exchange with high status actors, and thus are motivated to engage in such exchanges, which results in more opportunities for either casual sexual encounters (“hookups”) or exclusive relationships for those with high status. However, gendering this is the fact that women lose status from having too much casual sex, and the characteristics that provide status differ by gender. Indicators of status that I used include attractiveness, being a varsity athlete, weight (BMI), and height. I find that women who rate themselves as more attractive or who are thinner have a higher likelihood of having had a relationship and women who rate themselves as more attractive or are varsity athletes have more partners for hookups. Men who are varsity athletes, rate themselves as more attractive, have normal weight, and are tall have more hookup partners. Likely influenced by the sexual double standard, men express more preference for hooking up while women express more preference for relationships. Thus, given the shortage of women willing to hook up and men wanting relationships, men’s status has a greater effect in determining access to hookups while women’s status has a greater effect in determining their access to relationships.

Alison C. K. Fogarty is a 3rd year PhD student in the Sociology department at Stanford University, where she specializes in the subfields of gender, sexuality, and social psychology.

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.
https://iriss.stanford.edu/mapss_colloquium_signup.

Lunch will be served at 12:10 for those who have RSVP'd; the talks start at 12:20.
For more information, please contact mapss-info@lists.stanford.edu.

Posted by ronbo at 10:05 PM

February 23, 2009

MAPSS Talk: Marcia Castro - Using GIS to control Malaria

The Methods of Analysis Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS) will be continuing our quarter on GIS and Spatial Data this week with Harvard professor Marcia Castro. She will be talking about the use of spatial data in understanding the spread of diseases.

Pizza will be served outside Building 530 - Room 127 at 12:10PM, talk starts at 12:20PM. (RSVP for food at https://iriss.stanford.edu/mapss_colloquium_signup)

Thursday, February 26th
12:10 PM
Building 530 - Room 127

(Building 530 is between Memorial Church and Tresidder)

Malaria Control in Urban Africa: challenges and methodological approaches

Urban malaria is often characterized by focal transmission and prevalence levels impacted by a myriad of factors (e.g. political, social, economic, environmental and behavioral). Improved understanding of the most important determinants of malaria transmission is dramatically improved when spatially explicit approaches are used. They allow the assessment of local heterogeneities, and facilitate the planning of targeted interventions. This presentation will discuss the challenges of designing and implementing a malaria control program based on a current on-going intervention in In Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Methodological approaches combining GIS, spatial analysis and remote sensing applied to multiple data sources (entomological, household, and parasitological data) were crucial for the planning and implementation phases, and are of utmost important for routine surveillance and evaluation.

Marcia C. Castro is Assistant Professor of Demography at the Harvard School of Public Health.

All members of the Stanford community are invited to attend and to RSVP in advance to reserve food.
https://iriss.stanford.edu/mapss_colloquium_signup.

Lunch will be served at 12:10 for those who have RSVP'd; the talks start at 12:20.
For more information, please contact mapss-info@lists.stanford.edu.

Posted by ronbo at 06:18 PM

February 09, 2009

MAPSS - Rob Parker - Spatial Autocorrelation

The Methods of Analysis Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS) will be continuing our quarter on GIS and Spatial Data this week with UC Riverside professor Rob Parker. He will be talking about problems of spatially autocorrelated and some potential solutions.

Pizza will be served outside Building 530 - Room 127 at 12:10PM, talk starts at 12:20PM. (RSVP for food at https://iriss.stanford.edu/mapss_colloquium_signup)

Thursday, February 12th
12:10 PM
Building 530 - Room 127

(Building 530 is between Memorial Church and Tresidder)

Spatial Autocorrelation: Concepts, Measures, and Impact in Social Science Research

Spatial Autocorrelation is endemic in spatially oriented data used in social science research. Understanding its origins, impact, methods of detection, and ways of dealing with this problem in multivariate models is essential if spatial modeling is to make significant contributions to knowledge and policy in the social and behavioral sciences. This talk will address issues of origins, detection, and the adjustments to standard modeling techniques that have been developed to deal with the impact spatial autocorrelation has on substantive results and hypothesis testing.

Robert Nash Parker is Professor of Sociology and Co-Director of the Presley Center for Crime and Justice Studies at the University of California, Riverside. He has published widely on topics such as the causes of violence, the alcohol and violence link, and on evaluation research. Parker has two books in print, Alcohol and Homicide: A Deadly Combination of Two American Traditions (SUNY Press, 1995) and GIS and Spatial Analysis for the Social Sciences: Coding, Mapping, and Modeling (Routledge, 2008), and a third book forthcoming entitled Alcohol and Violence: The Nature of the Relationship and the Promise of Prevention.

All members of the Stanford community are invited to attend and to RSVP in advance to reserve food.
https://iriss.stanford.edu/mapss_colloquium_signup.

Lunch will be served at 12:10 for those who have RSVP'd; the talks start at 12:20.
For more information, please contact mapss-info@lists.stanford.edu.

Posted by ronbo at 03:59 PM

February 03, 2009

MAPSS - Student Presentation - Donna Winston on Parental Involvement in Education

The Methods of Analysis Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS) will meet this week to discuss Parental Involvement in Education with Stanford Education PhD Student Donna Winston.

Pizza will be served outside Building 530 - Room 127 at 12:10PM, talk starts at 12:20PM. (RSVP for food at https://iriss.stanford.edu/mapss_colloquium_signup)

Thursday, February 5th
12:10 PM
Building 530 - Room 127

(Building 530 is between Memorial Church and Tresidder)

What Do You Believe?: Challenges in gauging pre-service teachers' belief change over time

The talk examines the challenges faced when trying to assess pre-service teachers' belief change about the topic of parent involvement, specifically in regard to diverse families. First, the talk opens with fundamental information on key topics the dissertation study covers. Next, it describes the research questions and methodology of the longitudinal study. Following this segment will be an overview of the main challenges faced in the study. The talk concludes with an examination of the proposed analyses and their appropriateness for answering the posited research questions. After conclusion of the talk, the author will open the floor to discussion about and suggestions for analysis methods.

Donna Winston is a 5th year PhD in Administration and Policy Analysis at the Stanford University School of Education. Her dissertation research focuses on parent involvement and teacher education, though she spent much of her time at Stanford conducting evaluations for Stanford's charter school, East Palo Alto Academy High School.

All members of the Stanford community are invited to attend and to RSVP in advance to reserve food.
https://iriss.stanford.edu/mapss_colloquium_signup.

Lunch will be served at 12:10 for those who have RSVP'd; the talks start at 12:20.
For more information, please contact mapss-info@lists.stanford.edu.

Posted by ronbo at 01:39 PM

January 28, 2009

MAPSS talk: Jowei Chen - Causality in GIS

The Methods of Analysis Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS) continues our exploration of Geographic Information Systems and Problems of Spatial Autocorrelation. Stanford Political Science PhD Student Jowei Chen will be discussing how GIS data can be used to make causal inferences.

Pizza will be served outside Building 530 - Room 127 at 12:10PM, talk starts at 12:20PM. (RSVP for food at https://iriss.stanford.edu/mapss_colloquium_signup)

Thursday, January 29th
12:10 PM
Building 530 - Room 127

(Building 530 is between Memorial Church and Tresidder)

Manipulating GIS Data for Causal Inference

Many datasets studied by social scientists contain spatial information that often goes ignored or understudied. In this talk, I'll demonstrate some ways that we can manipulate Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data to develop an identification strategy for causal inference.

First, I'll present techniques for geocoding spatial points and integrating them with Census data or other environmental data. Second, I'll explain and demonstrate the manipulation and use of remote sensing data (ie, data collected systematically by non-human instruments, such as a satellite).

Finally, I will explain two identification strategies from my own research that exploit this sort of GIS data:

1) A "geographic discontinuity design," in which we exploit arbitrary spatial cutoffs for assignment to a treatment.
2) Geography as an instrumental variable, exploiting exogenous geographic determinants of an independent variable of interest.

All the examples in the talk will be based on my research studying the effect of FEMA hurricane disaster aid on recipients' vote choices. Some examples of this research are on my website: http://www.stanford.edu/~jowei

Jowei Chen is a graduate student in Political Science at Stanford. His research examines distributive politics and vote buying in the United States. He is a native of Appalachian Tennessee.

All members of the Stanford community are invited to attend and to RSVP in advance to reserve food.
https://iriss.stanford.edu/mapss_colloquium_signup.

Lunch will be served at 12:10 for those who have RSVP'd; the talks start at 12:20.
For more information, please contact mapss-info@lists.stanford.edu.

Posted by ronbo at 02:44 PM

December 01, 2008

MAPSS Talk: Lance Waller - Hierarchical Models with Spatial Data

MAPSS continues our quarter on Hierchical Modeling with Emory University Professor Lance A. Waller, who will talk about hierarchical approaches to spatial problems.

Pizza will be served outside Building 320 (Geology) Room 105 at 11:45AM, talk starts at 12:00PM. (RSVP for food at http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup.html)

Thursday, December 4th
12:00 PM
Building 320 (Geology) - Room 105

Statistical Methods for Estimating Spatially-Varying Associations: Comparing Assumptions, Implementation, and Inference Regarding Links Between Violent Crime, Alcohol Distribution, and Illegal Drug Arrests in Houston, Texas

Recent years have seen an increase in the development and application of statistical methods allowing regression associations to vary over geographic space, that is, methods allowing construction of maps of spatially-varying associations between outcomes and covariates of interest. We compare and contrast two general approaches for creating such maps: geographically weighted regression (GWR) and spatially-varying coefficient models. We discuss how the two approaches differ in underlying assumptions and implementation and how these differences influence the range and interpretability of resulting outcomes. We illustrate the ideas and both types of methods to investigate spatially-varying associations between reports of violent crime, alcohol distribution, and illegal drug arrests in census tracts in Houston, Texas. We might expect different local associations to occur based on differing local environments and drivers impacting the associations between the variables, and we illustrate the sort of inferences provided by the two different analytical approaches.

Lance Waller received his PhD in Operations Research from Cornell University in 1992. His interests involve statistical analysis of spatially referenced data. Examples include tests of spatial clustering of disease cases, for example around a hazardous waste site; small area estimation; hierarchical models with spatially structured random effects; and spatial point process models. Recent applications include spatiotemporal mapping of disease rates, statistical methods for assessing environmental justice, the analysis of spatial trends in Lyme disease incidence and reporting, spatial modelling of the spread of raccoon rabies, and point process analysis of sea turtle nesting locations in Florida. He is interested in both the statistical methodology, and the environmental and epidemiologic models involved in the analysis of this type of data. He teaches courses in spatial biostatistics, applied linear models, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in Public Health.

All members of the Stanford community are invited to attend and to RSVP in advance to reserve food.
http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup.html.

Lunch will be served at 11:45 for those who have RSVP'd; the talks start at 12:00.
For more information, please contact mapss-info@lists.stanford.edu.

Posted by ronbo at 05:26 PM

November 19, 2008

MAPSS Presents Sophia Rabe-Hesketh this Thursday (w/ Handout)

MAPSS continues our quarter on Hierchical Modeling with University of California Professor Sophia Rabe-Hesketh, who will talk about discrete choices in hierarchical models. Please take a quick look at her handout: http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/papers/stanford4.pdf.

Pizza will be served outside Building 320 (Geology) Room 105 at 11:45AM, talk starts at 12:00PM. (RSVP for food at http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup.html)

Thursday, November 20th
12:00 PM
Building 320 (Geology) - Room 105

Multilevel Modelig of Categorical Data

Binary, ordinal, and nominal (or discrete choice) data can be analyzed using different types of logistic regression models. When the data have a multilevel structure, for instance with students nested in classes nested in schools, these models can be extended by including class-level and school-level random effects. I will describe the models and show how they can be estimated using Stata's xtmelogit command and my own command gllamm.I will also discuss how to obtain different types of predicted probabilities for these models using the prediction command for gllamm. http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/papers/stanford4.pdf.

Sophia Rabe-Hesketh is professor of educational statistics and biostatistics at the University of California, Berkeley and chair of social statistics at the Institute of Education, University of London. Her research interests include hierarchical/multilevel models, item response theory, structural equation models, and generalized latent variable models. She has developed a model framework, "Generalized Linear Latent and Mixed Models", that unifies and extends these models, allowing, for instance, inclusion of measurement models within multilevel regression models. Rabe-Hesketh has co-authored five books on statistics, including "Generalized Latent Variable Modeling: Multilevel, Longitudinal, and Structural Equation Models" and papers in a wide range of methodological journals, including Psychometrika, Biometrics, and Journal of Econometrics. She is an elected member of the International Statistical Institute.

All members of the Stanford community are invited to attend and to RSVP in advance to reserve food.
http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup.html.

Lunch will be served at 11:45 for those who have RSVP'd; the talks start at 12:00.
For more information, please contact mapss-info@lists.stanford.edu.

Posted by ronbo at 04:32 PM

November 11, 2008

MAPSS Student Presentation: Elise Paradis - Gender at the Boxing Gym

Elise Paradis, a PhD Student studying the Sociology of Education will be giving a student presentation called "Talking Weight, Doing Gender: The Boxing Gym as Microcosm."

Pizza will be served outside Building 320 (Geology) Room 105 at 11:45AM, talk starts at 12:00PM. (RSVP for food at http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup.html)

Thursday, November 13th
12:00 PM
Building 320 (Geology) - Room 105

Talking Weight, Doing Gender: The Boxing Gym as Microcosm

Elise Paradis is a third-year Ph.D. student in sociology of education. She graduated from the University of Toronto in 2006 with a Honors B.A. in Math and in History of Science and Technology. She is the recipient of a TD Canada Trust Scholarship for Community Involvement (2002), of a Government of Canada Millennium Scholarship (2002), of the Lieutenant-Governor Medal (2002), and of a four-year doctoral fellowship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (2006). Her dissertation will evaluate the impacts of the harmonization of higher education in Europe (the Bologna Process) on women in science, in the hopes to integrate ideas from the social psychology of gender to neo-institutional theory.

All members of the Stanford community are invited to attend and to RSVP in advance to reserve food.
http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup.html.

Lunch will be served at 11:45 for those who have RSVP'd; the talks start at 12:00.
For more information, please contact mapss-info@lists.stanford.edu.

Posted by ronbo at 03:28 PM

November 01, 2008

MAPSS Talk: Matthew Harding - Bayesian HLM

MAPSS continues our quarter on Hierchical Modeling with Stanford Economics Professor Matthew Harding, who will talk about some Bayesian HLM techniques.

Pizza will be served outside Building 320 (Geology) Room 105 at 11:45AM, talk starts at 12:00PM. (RSVP for food at http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup.html)

Thursday, November 6th
12:00 PM
Building 320 (Geology) - Room 105

Bayesian Nonparametric Approaches to Unobserved Heterogeneity in Nonlinear Models

The talk is based on some of my recent work. It introduces recent advances in Bayesian nonparametrics using the Dirichlet Process model. It discusses how this approach can be used to control for unobserved individual level heterogeneity of unknown functional form. It introduces MCMC estimation techniques for non-conjugate latent class sampling. Examples include multinomial choice models, dynamic probit, duration models and stochastic volatility models for high-frequency finance.

Matthew Harding is currently an Assistant Professor of Economics at Stanford University. He holds a PhD in Economics from MIT. Matthew Harding was also awarded an M.Phil. in Economics from Oxford University and a B.A. in Economics and Philosophy from University College London and was also a research associate at the Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University. His research focuses on theoretical and empirical econometric issues arising from the analysis of very large datasets such as scanner data, large social networks and financial data. His most recent work on the estimation of latent consumer preferences in discrete choice models was published in the Journal of Econometrics and the International Economic Review.

All members of the Stanford community are invited to attend and to RSVP in advance to reserve food.
http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup.html.

Lunch will be served at 11:45 for those who have RSVP'd; the talks start at 12:00.
For more information, please contact mapss-info@lists.stanford.edu.

Posted by ronbo at 07:03 PM

October 30, 2008

ANES Announcement: Conference on Optimal Coding of Open-Ended Survey Data

ANES is pleased to announce a Conference on Optimal Coding of Open-Ended Survey Data, December 4-5, 2008, at the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Theme:

Many surveys include questions that are asked in an open-ended format. For such questions, respondents are not offered a discrete set of options from which to choose. Instead, respondents answer in their own words. To protect respondent privacy and to facilitate quantitative analysis, survey producers later code these open-ended responses by sorting them into discrete categorical variables.

Many researchers are asking important questions about the coding of open-ended responses. Some questions pertain to the properties of coding schemes. Other questions pertain to the procedures by which such schemes are implemented (e.g., how many coders to use and how to evaluate inter-coder reliability). Other questions pertain to documentation. There are, for example, numerous cases in which scholars who want to have debates about how to interpret coded responses cannot because surveys today tend to offer incomplete or inconsistent documentation of the coding properties and procedures described above.

Leading survey organizations, including the American National Election Studies, the General Social Survey, the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, and the National Longitudinal Survey are now seeking advice from a broad spectrum of experts about how to improve open-ended coding practices. To this end, they are co-sponsoring a conference on Optimal Coding of Open-Ended Survey Data at the University of Michigan on December 4 and 5, 2008.

The purpose of this conference is to bring together experts on systematic analysis of qualitative data and survey researchers to discuss options for improving conventional coding procedures implemented in the survey research world. Speakers and participants will include leading scholars from large-scale surveys, coding staff members from major survey organizations and scholars who have published and thought extensively about optimal procedures for coding open-ended text.

Confirmed speakers include:

Kristin Behfar, Paul Merage School of Business, UC-Irvine

David Fan, Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota

Nigel Fielding, Department of Sociology, University of Surrey

Roberto Franzosi, Department of Sociology, Emory University

Harry Ganzeboom, Department of Social Research Methodology, Free University Amsterdam

Udo Kelle, Institute for Sociology, Philipps-University of Marburg

Klaus Krippendorf, Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania

David Repass, Professor Emeritus, Department of Political Science, University of Connecticut

Roel Popping, Department of Sociology, University of Groningen

W. James Potter, Department of Communication, UC-Santa Barbara

Carl Roberts, Department of Sociology, Iowa State University

Fabrizio Sebastiani, Networked Multimedia Information Access Laboratory, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche

Paul Skalski, Department of Communication, Cleveland State University

We invite you to come to this conference and contribute to this broad interdisciplinary attempt to understand and improve best practices in open-ended coding. The registration fee, which includes all sessions plus breakfast and lunch on both days is $50.00. Space is limited to the first 50 people to submit their completed registration forms. For further information, please contact us at anes@electionstudies.org or visit our website at http://electionstudies.org/conferences/methods/MethodsConference.htm

Funded by the National Science Foundation and cosponsored by the American National Election Study, the General Social Survey, the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, and the National Longitudinal Survey.

Posted by ronbo at 05:34 PM

October 29, 2008

MAPSS - Learn About the Secure Data Center from C. Matthew Snipp

IRiSS, the Institute for Research in the Social Sciences and sponsor of the Methods of Analysis Program in the Social Sciences has opened up a secure data center on campus. Sociology Professor Matthew Snipp will talk about this exciting new resources for researchers at Stanford.

Pizza will be served outside Building 320 (Geology) Room 105 at 11:45AM, talk starts at 12:00PM. (RSVP for food at http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup.html)

Thursday, October 30th
12:00 PM
Building 320 (Geology) - Room 105

Accessing Restricted Data at the IRiSS Secure Data Center

Social scientists have long desired access to the detailed record files from surveys, censuses, registries, and other sources of data collected by the federal government and other organizations. Citing concerns about insuring the privacy of respondents and the need to uphold promises of confidentiality, these agencies typically withhold a great deal of information of about their respondents or implement measures that deliberately obscure this information. For example, many surveys disclose relatively little geographic information or report truncated age or income distributions (“top-coding”). For researchers interested in the effects of neighborhood characteristics, or groups such as the very old or the very rich, these restrictions frequently result in the use of crude proxies—e.g. treating census tracts as neighborhoods—or are simply insurmountable. Over the past decade, data producers have become more sympathetic towards these issues, and how restricted data dissemination adversely affects the utility of the data they collect. As a consequence, these producers have established procedures for granting access to confidential information when researchers can demonstrate a valid need for these data. A growing number of institutions have developed secure facilities to protect the security of confidential data and help faculty and students gain access to data sources that have been unavailable in the past. The IRiSS Secure Data Center (IRiSS-SDC) was established in 2007 and is a facility to help Stanford faculty and students manage access to confidential data. Matthew Snipp, the director of the IRiSS-SDC will discuss the current operations and future plans for the Center as well as how faculty and students may use the center for their own projects.

C. Matthew Snipp is a Professor in the Department of Sociology at Stanford University, the Director of Stanford’s Center for Comparative Study of Race and Ethnicity, and the Director of the Secure Data Center within Stanford’s Institute for Research in the Social Sciences.. Before moving to Stanford in 1996, he was a Professor of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin -- Madison. He has been a Research Fellow at the U.S. Bureau of the Census and a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences. Professor Snipp has published 3 books and over 60 articles and book chapters on demography, economic development, poverty and unemployment. His current research and writing deals with the methodology of racial measurement, changes in the social and economic well-being of American ethnic minorities, and American Indian education. For nearly ten years, he served as an appointed member of the Census Bureau’s Racial and Ethnic Advisory Committee, He also has been involved with several advisory working groups evaluating the 2000 census, two National Academy of Science panels charged with designing the 2010 census and has served as a member of the Board of Scientific Counselors for the Centers for Disease Control and the National Center for Health Statistics.

All members of the Stanford community are invited to attend and to RSVP in advance to reserve food.
http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup.html.

Lunch will be served at 11:45 for those who have RSVP'd; the talks start at 12:00.
For more information, please contact mapss-info@lists.stanford.edu.

Posted by ronbo at 05:02 PM

October 22, 2008

MAPSS - Hands On HLM with Simon Jackman (Thursday, October 23, 2008)

This quarter, the Methods of Analysis Program in the Social Sciences will be focusing on Hierarchical Models. Come on Thursday for a Hands-On Session With Hierarchical Models by MAPSS Director and Stanford Professor of Political Science Simon Jackman.

PLEASE NOTE THAT WE HAVE MOVED ROOMS AND WILL BE STARTING AT 11:45 FOR FOOD AND 12:00 FOR THE TALK.

Pizza will be served outside Building 320 Room 105 at 11:45PM, talk starts at 12:00PM. (RSVP for food at http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup.html)

Thursday, October 23rd
12:15 PM
Building 320 - Room 105

Simon Jackman is a Professor of Political Science at Stanford University. He also holds a courtesy appointment as an Associate Professor with the Department of Statistics. Jackman directs Political Science Computational Laboratory, along with the MAPSS program.
Jackman is widely regarded as one of the top methodologists in the field on Political Science. He has published extensively on American and Australian Government, Public Opinion, and Statistical Methods for Political Analysis. He also has a forthcoming book, Bayesian Analysis for the Social Sciences. Jackman has a Ph.D. in Political Science from University of Rochester, and B.A. (with Honors) in Government from University of Queensland, Australia.

All members of the Stanford community are invited to attend and to RSVP in advance to reserve food.
http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup.html.

Lunch will be served at 11:45 for those who have RSVP'd; the talks start at 12:00.
For more information, please contact mapss-info@lists.stanford.edu.

Posted by ronbo at 05:20 AM

October 07, 2008

MAPSS - Ken Cor - Student Presentation

This quarter, the Methods of Analysis Program in the Social Sciences is focusing on Hierarchical Models. Following this week's student presentation, we will spend about half an hour distilling some of the information from the last two weeks. The session will be ENTIRELY EQUATION FREE (we promise). This week, Ken Cor, a Ph.D. Student from the School of Education will be presenting the results of his meta-analysis of the relationship between teacher autonomy and educational outcomes.

Pizza will be served outside Building 200 (History) Room 305 at 12:00PM, talk starts at 12:15PM. (RSVP for food at http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup.html)

Thursday, October 9th
12:15 PM
Building 200 (History) - Room 305

Clarifying the Relationship Between Autonomy Support, Motivation, Performance and Related Educational Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis

A meta-analysis of 38 research reports examined the relationship between perceived autonomy support and motivation, performance, and related educational outcomes across varying levels of education. Results indicate that perceived teacher autonomy support significantly and positively relates to academic performance, cognitive engagement, introjected regulation, identified regulation, intrinsic motivation, self-determination, and perceived academic confidence. Perceived teacher autonomy support was found to significantly and negatively relate to external regulation. Similar results were found for the relationship between perceived parental autonomy support and the same variables, with the exception of introjected regulation, which did not relate. Moderator analysis revealed that the strength of the relationship between perceived teacher autonomy support and motivation outcomes varies as a function of the educational level of students.

Ken Cor

Bachelor of Science: Chemical Engineering
Bachelor of Education: Secondary Education
Masters in Education: Measurement, Evaluation, and Cognition
1st year Phd Student in the Stanford University School of Education

All members of the Stanford community are invited to attend and to RSVP in advance to reserve food.
http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup.html.

Lunch will be served at 12:00 for those who have RSVP'd; the talks start at 12:15.
For more information, please contact mapss-info@lists.stanford.edu.

Posted by ronbo at 08:13 PM

September 29, 2008

From MAPSS list: David Rogosa continues the MAPSS quarter on HLM

This quarter, the Methods of Analysis Program in the Social Sciences will be focusing on Hierarchical Models. Come on Thursday for more on Hierarchical Models by Stanford Professor of Statistics David Rogosa.

Pizza will be served outside Building 200 (History) Room 124 at 12:00PM, talk starts at 12:15PM. (RSVP for food at http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup.html)

Thursday, October 2nd
12:15 PM
Building 200 (History) - Room 305

Groups and Growth Curves: Stuff you don't know?

Continue the introduction to multi-level data and random-effects models with a set of three examples: contextual effects, public/private comparison in High School and Beyond, and analysis of collections of growth (learning) curves. Although time is extremely limited, actual data analyses will be presented using lme in R (and some legacy SAS). More material is available from weeks 4 and 9 of Stat209 (http://www-stat.stanford.edu/~rag/stat209)

David Rogosa graduated from Princeton and has been at Stanford a long, long time and you can link to him through his web page http://www.stanford.edu/~rag/ for more info.

All members of the Stanford community are invited to attend and to RSVP in advance to reserve food.
http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup.html.

Lunch will be served at 12:00 for those who have RSVP'd; the talks start at 12:15.
For more information, please contact mapss-info@lists.stanford.edu.

Posted by ronbo at 04:57 PM

September 22, 2008

From MAPSS - Introduction to HLM with Simon Jackman

This quarter, the Methods of Analysis Program in the Social Sciences will be focusing on Hierarchical Models. Come on Thursday for the Introduction to Hierarchical Models by MAPSS Director and Stanford Professor of Political Science Simon Jackman.

Pizza will be served outside Building 200 (History) Room 124 at 12:00PM, talk starts at 12:15PM. (RSVP for food at http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup.html)

Thursday, September 25th
12:15 PM
Building 200 (History) - Room 124

All members of the Stanford community are invited to attend and to RSVP in advance to reserve food.
http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup.html.

Lunch will be served at 12:00 for those who have RSVP'd; the talks start at 12:15.
For more information, please contact mapss-info@lists.stanford.edu.

Posted by ronbo at 08:49 PM

September 16, 2008

From MAPSS List: Talk by Peter Meyer, NCHS (Sept. 22) and Ron Jarmin, Census (Sept. 23)

Dear Colleague,

On September 22-23, Peter Meyer, Director of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Research Data Centerprogram, and Ron Jarmin, Chief Economist and Chief of the Center for Economic Studies at the Census Bureau, will be visiting Stanford for discussions with the Institute for Research in the Social Sciences. While they are here, they will be doing some presentations about the availability of restricted-use data through the Research Data Centers (RDCs) of the U.S. Bureau of Census.

The NCHS data in the RDC’s include the restricted versions of large number of data collections, including the National Health Interview Survey, NHANDS, National Hospital Discharge Survey, National Survey of Family Growth, National Immunization Survey, National Home and Hospice Care Survey, National Nursing Home Survey, a number of surveys from the State and Local Area Integrated Telephone Surveys (SLAITS), as well as many others.

The target audience for these data might include researchers in public health, health policy, social welfare, or epidemiology.

We have scheduled a public presentation by Peter Meyer on Monday, September 22nd at 3:30. This will be followed by a brief reception during which time researchers will have the opportunity to meet with Mr. Meyer individually.

Ron Jarmin will visit Stanford on Tuesday, September 23rd and will give his presentation at 11 a.m. He will also be open to individual meetings on Tuesday afternoon between 2 and 3.

Both of these meetings will take place in the Mendenhall Library (Building 120).

If you would like to meet with these scholars, please contact Afrooz Emami (afrooz@stanford.edu). We would love to have a tentative headcount for these presentations. Afrooz can also set you up with an individual meeting – should you wish to have one.

We hope to see you at these presentations,

Szonja Szelényi (szelenyi@stanford.edu)
Institute for Research in the Social Sciences

Posted by ronbo at 11:50 AM

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

June 01, 2008

From MAPSS list: Social Science at Google

Google Quantitative Researcher Vani Henderson discusses Google data and measurement tools as social science resources this Tuesday (June 3rd).

Tuesday, May 3rd
12:15 PM
Education Building (Cubberley) - Room 128

Google as a Measuring Tool

Most people know Google as a search engine: a tool to connect them with the information they're looking for on the World Wide Web. But through its aggregated, anonymous data--and tools that make sense of the data--Google can also provide invaluable insights into user behavior, trends, and response to both on- and offline advertising. This talk will provide an overview of the data and tools that Google makes available to users, from the average searcher to major advertisers.

Vani Henderson is a researcher in the quantitative marketing group at Google. She was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Stanford Prevention Research Center in 2006-07 and earned a Ph.D. in communication from the Annenberg School at the University of Pennsylvania. Previously, she was a senior strategic planner at advertising agency Foote, Cone, & Belding in New York City. Her research in the area of media effects has been published in journals including Media Psychology, Journal of Adolescent Health, and Personality and Individual Differences. At Google, her work focuses on understanding user behavior and advertising effects.

All members of the Stanford community are invited to attend and to RSVP in advance to reserve food.
http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup.html
.
Lunch will be served at 12:00 for those who have RSVP'd; the talks start at 12:15.
For more information, please contact mapss-info@lists.stanford.edu.

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 11:27 AM

May 14, 2008

From MAPSS list: Paul Allison Talk on Missing Data

How Do You Deal With Missing Data?
University of Pennsylvania Sociology Professor Paul Allison discusses common means and ideal ways of addressing missing data problems on Tuesday (May 20th).

Tuesday, May 20th
12:15 PM
Education Building (Cubberley) - Room 128

Multiple Imputation for Missing Data

This talk is a gentle introduction to the use of multiple imputation for handling missing data in social science research. After a brief review of conventional methods, we will examine the basic principles of multiple imputation, and will then work through a detailed example using PROC MI in SAS. Because this method assumes multivariate normality, the appropriate treatment of categorical variables will be considered. A second example uses the ICE command in Stata. Although this method is more appropriate for categorical variables, it comes with some theoretical and computational costs.

Paul Allison is Professor of Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania where he primarily teaches graduate-level methods and statistics. He is the author of several books and numerous articles on applied statistical methods, including Fixed Effects Regression Methods for Longitudinal Data Using SAS (2005), Missing Data (2001), Logistic Regression Using SAS (1999), and Survival Analysis Using SAS (1995). Much of his earlier research was focused on career patterns of academic scientists. A former Guggenheim Fellow, Allison received the 2001 Lazarsfeld Award for distinguished contributions to sociological methodology.

All members of the Stanford community are invited to attend and to RSVP in advance to reserve food.
http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup.html.

Lunch will be served at 12:00 for those who have RSVP'd; the talks start at 12:15.
For more information, please contact mapss-info@lists.stanford.edu.

Posted by ronbo at 10:38 PM

May 02, 2008

MAPSS list: Jeremy Bailenson - Virtual Reality for Social Science Research

Should We Be Experimenting On Second Life?

Stanford University Communication Professor Jeremy Bailenson explains the values of immersive virtual environments for conducting research this Tuesday (May 6th).

***Also, if you are eligible for a MAPSS certificate by the end of this quarter, please fill out an application at (http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/cert/index.html) as soon as possible and send an email to Josh Pasek (josh@joshpasek.com) -- MAPSS Certificates will be awarded on May 19th, 2008 for the 2007/2008 year. You can sign up for the awards reception at (http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup_cert.html).***

Pizza will be served at the Education Building (Cubberley) Room 128 at 12:00PM, talk starts at 12:15PM. (RSVP for food at http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup.html)

Tuesday, May 6th
12:15 PM
Education Building (Cubberley) - Room 128

Immersive Virtual Reality as a Social Science Research Tool

Historically, at least 3 methodological problems have dogged experimental social psychology: the experimental control-mundane realism trade-off, lack of replication, and unrepresentative sampling. We argue that immersive virtual environment technology (IVET) can help ameliorate, if not solve, these methodological problems and, thus, holds promise as a newsocial psychological research tool. In this article,we first present an overview of IVET and review IVET-based research within psychology and other fields. Next, we propose a general model of social influence within immersive virtual environments and present some preliminary findings regarding its utility for social psychology. Finally, we present a new paradigm for experimental social psychology that may enable researchers to unravel the very fabric of social interaction.

Jeremy Bailenson earned a B.A. cum laude from the University of Michigan in 1994 and a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from Northwestern University in 1999. After receiving his doctorate, he spent four years at the Research Center for Virtual Environments and Behavior at the University of California, Santa Barbara as a Post-Doctoral Fellow and then an Assistant Research Professor. He currently is the director of Stanford's Virtual Human Interaction Lab.

Bailenson's main area of interest is the phenomenon of digital human representation, especially in the context of immersive virtual reality. He explores the manner in which people are able to represent themselves when the physical constraints of body and veridically-rendered behaviors are removed. Furthermore, he designs and studies collaborative virtual reality systems that allow physically remote individuals to meet in virtual space, and explores the manner in which these systems change the nature of verbal and nonverbal interaction.

His work has been published in several academic journals, including Cognitive Psychology, Discourse Processes, Human Communication Research, Psychological Science, and PRESENCE: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, and his research is funded by the National Science Foundation, Stanford University, and by various Silicon Valley and international corporations.

Posted by ronbo at 04:35 PM

April 27, 2008

From MAPSS list: Voting Stratecially? McGill Ph.D. Student Marc André Bodet discusses strategic voting this Tuesday (April 29th)

***Also, if you are eligible for a MAPSS certificate by the end of this quarter, please fill out an application at (http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/cert/index.html) as soon as possible and send an email to Josh Pasek (josh@joshpasek.com) -- MAPSS Certificates will be awarded on May 19th, 2008 for the 2007/2008 year.***

Tuesday, April 29th
12:15 PM
Education Building (Cubberley) - Room 128

Measuring the Propensity to Vote Strategically in a Single-Member District Plurality System

The objective of this paper is to establish a coherent method to measure the propensity to vote strategically in single-member district plurality systems. Using four recent Canadian Election Studies (CES), we propose a series of refinements (survey questions, modelization, estimation) to the approach proposed by Alvarez and Nagler (1998, 2000). We also argue in favor of a random utility maximization nested logit model and a parametric probabilistic simulation method.

Marc André Bodet is a PhD student in the department of Political Science at McGill University. He is the recipient of a Canada Graduate Scholarship (SSHRC) and a member of the research team at the Media Observatory at McGill University. He was previously an associate researcher at the Canada Research Chair in Electoral Studies (CRCEE). His research interests are measurement and estimation methods, elections, and budgetary politics.

All members of the Stanford community are invited to attend and to RSVP in advance to reserve food (Free Pizza!!).
http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup.html.

Lunch will be served at 12:00 for those who have RSVP'd; the talks start at 12:15. For more information, please contact mapss-info@lists.stanford.edu.

Posted by ronbo at 06:06 PM

April 18, 2008

From MAPSS list: Intel Research Team Director Françoise Bourdonnec talks about qualitative methods

When Intel Does Social Science

Tuesday, April 22nd
12:15 PM
Education Building (Cubberley) - Room 128

From Field Sites to Silicon: using ethnography to influence product design

Qualitative social sciences, such as ethnography, are often challenged to influence in heavily data-oriented environments. After reviewing our ethnographic research methods and their theoretical framing, I will explore how to most effectively mobilize the research findings in organizations which are used to dealing in quantitative data. The multiple paths to influence engineering and design teams require different a different presentation of data, and upon occasion different methodologies. Case studies drawn from Intel’s Digital Home Group will illustrate options to achieve the business goals: using research to drive changes in practice and results.

Françoise Bourdonnec is Director of the Domestic Designs and Technologies Research team for Intel's Digital Home Group. This inter-disciplinary team of design, social science and quantitative researchers develops a clear & actionable understanding of daily life in a range of countries all over the world in order to identify platform opportunities & influence corporate and DHG strategic direction and planning. Françoise has done fieldwork in the US, France, Russia and Australia, and has degrees in Anthropology (PSU), International Management (Thunderbird) and Finance (Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris). She has been with Intel since 1991.

All members of the Stanford community are invited to attend and to RSVP in advance to reserve food.
http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup.html.

Lunch will be served at 12:00 for those who have RSVP'd; the talks start at 12:15.
For more information, please contact mapss-info@lists.stanford.edu.

Posted by ronbo at 06:35 PM

April 15, 2008

From MAPSS: Studying No Child Left Behind

Stanford Ph.D. Candidate Xin Wei discusses research on educational accountability standards this Tuesday (April 15th).

Pizza will be served at the Education Building (Cubberley) Room 128 at 12:00PM, talk starts at 12:10PM. (RSVP for food at http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup.html)

Tuesday, April 15th
12:10 PM
Education Building (Cubberley) - Room 128

The Impact of State NCLB Accountability Systems on Student Outcomes: An Analysis of NAEP Results Across States

The stringency level of accountability systems varies greatly by state because of the different combinations of states' decisions in crafting their accountability plans. This study investigates how the stringency level of state NCLB accountability systems is related to student achievement. I developed an accountability stringency measure based on accountability strength, accountability flexibility and minimum subgroup size from each state's 2003 Consolidated State Application Accountability Workbook. I conducted both multiple regression analyses on the state-level NAEP data and hierarchical linear modeling analyses on the multilevel student NAEP data sets. Multiple regression models show that a stronger accountability system predicted higher achievement in math for White students in 8th grade, but lower achievement in reading for all students in 8th grade. Adoption of confidence intervals is a significant predictor of lower reading achievement for 4th-grade Hispanic students and lower math achievement for 8th-grade White students. A more lenient retesting policy negatively correlates with math achievement for 4th-grade students. Large minimum subgroup size relates to lower 4th-graders' reading and math achievement and lower 8th-graders' math achievement. Both regression and HLM results show the positive effect of indexing method on student achievement.

Xin Wei is completing a PhD in Educational Psychology from Stanford University and hold a master's degree in Statistics. Her research interest includes applying statistical modeling in educational measurement, evaluation and policy research. Within a multilevel modeling framework, her American Educational Research Association funded dissertation study addresses a very important question of whether more stringent accountability systems improve student achievement and close achievement gap.

All members of the Stanford community are invited to attend and to RSVP in advance to reserve food.
http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup.html
.
Lunch will be served at 12:00 for those who have RSVP'd; the talks start at 12:10.
For more information, please contact mapss-info@lists.stanford.edu.

Posted by ronbo at 12:23 AM

March 07, 2008

From MAPSS List: Trevor Hastie - Regularization

Why does the AIC work? When you add measures to a regression, the predictive power of the model always goes up. Regularization allows us to penalize models based on the number of parameters they include. This means that we can find the best model, rather than the most saturated one. Trevor Hastie, Statistics Department Chairman at Stanford University, talks about how regularization works and how we can use it this Tuesday (March 11th).

Tuesday, March 11th
12:15 PM
Education Building (Cubberley) - Room 128

Regularization Paths

Regularization is a popular approach to model selection, with L2 and L1 taking center stage. Recently there has been a spate of research on efficient algorithms for computing regularization paths. In this talk I will touch on a number of areas:

• SVMs and the role of regularization
• boosting and its forward-stagewise regularization path
• degrees of freedom and inference along paths
• lars and glmpath software for R, and other programs.
• path- and coordinate-wise approaches

RSVP for Free Pizza (available at 12:00 PM)
http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup.html

Trevor Hastie was born in South Africa in 1953. He received his university education from Rhodes University, South Africa (BS), University of Cape Town (MS), and Stanford University (Ph.D Statistics 1984).

After graduating he returned to South Africa for a year, and then returned in March 1986 and joined the statistics and data analysis research group at what was then AT&T Bell Laboratories. After 9 enjoyable years at Bell Labs, he returned to Stanford University in 1994 as Professor in Statistics and Biostatistics.

His main research contributions have been in the field of applied nonparametric regression and classification, and he has written two books in this area: "Generalized Additive Models" (with R. Tibshirani, Chapman and Hall, 1991), and "Elements of Statistical Learning" (with R. Tibshirani and J. Friedman, Springer 2001). He has also made contributions in statistical computing, co-editing (with J. Chambers) a large software library on modeling tools in the S language ("Statistical Models in S", Wadsworth, 1992), which form the basis for much of the statistical modeling in R and S-plus. His current research focuses on applied problems in biology and genomics, medicine and industry, in particular data mining, prediction and classification problems.

All members of the Stanford community are invited to attend and to RSVP in advance to reserve food.
http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup.html.

Lunch will be served at 12:00 for those who have RSVP'd; the talks start at 12:15. For more information, please contact mapss-info@lists.stanford.edu.

Posted by ronbo at 08:57 PM

March 06, 2008

From IRiSS: "Immigration and Inequality: An Egalitarian Case for Closed Borders?"

This seminar featuring Stephen Macedo of Princeton University takes place:

Wednesday, March 12
5:00 - 6:30 p.m.
Room 370, Building 370, Main Quad

The event is free and open to the public.

Stephen Macedo is the Director of the University Center for Human Values and the Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Politics at Princeton University. This lecture is part of the Center for the Study of Poverty and Inequality's John E. Sawyer Seminar Series on the Dynamics of Inequality, sponsored by the Mellon Foundation. For information, contact Randy Michaud at rmichaud@stanford.edu

Posted by ronbo at 06:36 PM

March 03, 2008

From MAPSS list: Gloria Miller - Multi-site Randomized Field Trial of an Elementary Science Curriculum

Comparing Curricula. How do we evaluate effective elementary curricula? Gloria I. Miller, Doctoral Candidate in Education at Stanford University, talks about one such study (March 3rd).

Tuesday, February 26th
12:15 PM
Education Building (Cubberley) - Room 128

Multi-site Randomized Field Trial of an Elementary Science Curriculum

Multi-site Randomized Field Trial of an Elementary Science Curriculum
We investigated whether a newly published commercially available science curriculum is more effective than current science programs in five diverse sites using an experimental design approach. Results are presented in light of imbedded implementation study to suggest ways in which school environments and routines can present both opportunities and challenges for new curricula. Although we found no evidence that the new curriculum improved science achievement beyond the regular programs, boys and girls performed equally well, whereas the control group boys outperformed girls. Our results also show that under some conditions the program can enhance reading achievement.

RSVP for Free Pizza (available at 12:00 PM)
http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup_miller.html

Gloria I. Miller is both an experienced classroom educator and an expert learning-products developer in the electronics industry. While academic director of Sonoma State's PreCollege Programs, she helped the 3-1-3 program - now called University Transition Academy and winner of California State School Board's 1998 Golden Bell Award - to become a model high school-university collaboration. Miller co-authored Digital Design: Foundations of Web Design, which aligns key national technology standards?including both the ISTE National Educational Technology Standards for Students and the National Workforce Center for Emerging Technologies?with the needs of K-12 education. She is completing a PhD at the Stanford University School of Education's Learning Sciences and Technology Development program, with a concentration on Curriculum and Teacher Education.

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.
http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup_miller.html.

Lunch will be served at 12:00 for those who have RSVP'd; the talks start at 12:15.
For more information, please contact mapss-info@lists.stanford.edu.

Posted by ronbo at 01:54 PM

February 22, 2008

From MAPSS list: MAPSS - Scott Page - Mathematical and Agent Based Models of Games

Modeling Behavior. Mathematical and agent based models provide opportunites for predicting how people might behave in particlar situations. Scott E. Page, Professor of Political Science, Complex Systems, and Economics at the University of Michigan, talks about modelling as a social science tool (February 26th) .

Pizza will be served at the Education Building (Cubberley) Room 128 at 12:00PM, talk starts at 12:15PM. (RSVP for food at http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup_page.html)

Tuesday, February 26th
12:15 PM
Education Building (Cubberley) - Room 128

Mathematical and Agent Based Models of Games

Economists and psychologists have proposed a variety of rules for how people behave in strategic contexts. Games can be analyzed using mathematical models or with agent based models. The latter approach some now call algorithmic game theory. Mathematical approaches focus on the existence and stability of equilibria. Whereas agent based models emphasize the basins of attraction of those same equilibria. For that reason, agent based models, along with experiments, have been propsed as a method for selecting among equilibrium.

In this talk, I will discuss three topics related to agent based models and game theory. The first will be basins of attraction and equilibrium selection. The second will consider the implications of heterogeneity of learning rules within a populaton. The third will be whether agent based models can capture "culture" in some form.

Scott E. Page is professor of political science, complex systems, and economics at The University of Michigan, a research scientist at the Center for Policy Studies at the Institute for Social Research, a member of the Michigan Society of Fellows, and an external faculty member at the Santa Fe Institute. He is the author of two recent books THE DIFFERENCE: HOW THE POWER OF DIVERSITY CREATES BETTER GROUPS, FIRMS, SCHOOLS, AND SOCIETIES and COMPLEX ADAPTIVE SYSTEMS: COMPUTATIONAL MODELS OF SOCIAL LIFE (with John Miller). He is currently visiting the Center for Advanced Studies in Behavioral Sciences at Stanford and consulting with the Kellogg Foundation and Yahoo!

All members of the Stanford community are invited to attend and to RSVP in advance to reserve food.
http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup_page.html.

Lunch will be served at 12:00 for those who have RSVP'd; the talks start at 12:15.
For more information, please contact mapss-info@lists.stanford.edu.

Posted by ronbo at 05:16 PM

February 14, 2008

From MAPSS list: Student Presentation: LGBTIQQ Youth and Online Environments: A Mixed Methods Approach

Coming Out in an Internet Era. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer and questioning (LGBTIQQ) young people are growing up with newfound access to the Internet. Elise Paradis, a Ph.D. Student studying the sociology of education, shares the results of a study of online behavior of LGBTIQQ youth on Tuesday (February 19th).

MAPSS is having a Pizza-off. For the next few weeks, MAPSS will be ordering Pizza from two different vendors per week. Tell us which one you think is better.

Food will be served at the Education Building (Cubberley) Room 128 at 12:00PM, talk starts at 12:15PM. (RSVP for Pizza at http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup_paradis.html)

Tuesday, February 19th
12:15 PM
Education Building (Cubberley) - Room 128

LGBTIQQ YOUTH AND ONLINE ENVIRONMENTS: A MIXED METHODS APPROACH

LGBTIQQ youth currently aged 13-21 grew up with the Internet, and LGBTIQQ online resources and environments are important sources of information and socialization for them. Five iterations of a new survey tool have been done in order to investigate the online behavior of LGBTIQQ youth. This paper, part of a larger project, answers two main questions, based on a sample of 223 self-identified LGBTIQQ American youth aged 13-21: What are the essential features of LGBTIQQ online environments for these youth? Why do they participate in LGBTIQQ online environments? Findings support the idea that LGBTIQQ youth see their identity as complex and fluid, and challenge certain stereotypes surrounding LGBTIQQ youth’s online behavior: there is much less sex and much more socializing and need for belonging than is typically assumed in the literature.

Paper can be accessed at http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/papers/eparadis.doc

Elise Paradis is a second-year Ph.D. student in sociology of education. She graduated from the University of Toronto in 2006 with a Honors B.A. in Math and in History of Science and Technology. She is the recipient of a TD Canada Trust Scholarship for Community Involvement (2002), of a Government of Canada Millennium Scholarship (2002), of the Lieutenant-Governor Medal (2002), and of a four-year doctoral fellowship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (2006). Her dissertation will evaluate the impacts of the harmonization of higher education in Europe (the Bologna Process) on women in science, in the hopes to integrate ideas from the social psychology of gender to neo-institutional theory.

All members of the Stanford community are invited to attend and to RSVP in advance to reserve food.
http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup_paradis.html.

Lunch will be served at 12:00 for those who have RSVP'd; the talks start at 12:15.
For more information, please contact mapss-info@lists.stanford.edu.

Posted by ronbo at 07:04 PM

February 06, 2008

From MAPSS list: 2008 Summer Institute in Political Psychology

ANNOUNCING THE

2008 SUMMER INSTITUTE IN POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY

at Stanford University from July 13 – August 1, 2008

**VERY LOW SPECIAL RATE FOR STANFORD STUDENTS: $400**

Stanford University is very pleased to announce that it will host the 2008 Summer Institute in Political Psychology, continuing an annual tradition that was started by Margaret Hermann at Ohio State University in 1991 and moved to Stanford in 2005.

The Summer Institute will offer 3 weeks of training in political psychology to up to 60 participants, including graduate students, faculty, professionals, and advanced undergraduates. The activities will include lectures by world-class faculty,
discussion groups, research/interest group meetings, group projects, and an array of social activities.

Political psychology is an exciting and thriving sub-disciplinary specialty that explores the origins of political behavior and the causes of political events, with a special focus on the psychological mechanisms at work. The principal contributors to the field include
political scientists, psychologists, sociologists, psychiatrists, and other researchers who cross bridges between disciplines in efforts to enrich their scholarship.

For detailed information and to apply, visit our website: www.stanford.edu/group/sipp. Please note that Stanford students are NOT required to stay on campus. Therefore your total cost for participation will only be $400. This participation fee pays for the cost of materials, the opening reception, the beach trip, the closing banquet, weekday lunches, and snacks during the morning and afternoon breaks.

For the best chance to be admitted, submit your application as soon as possible.

We are looking forward to hearing from you.

Jon Krosnick
Professor
Stanford University

Posted by ronbo at 05:34 PM

February 01, 2008

From MAPSS list: MAPSS - Facebook or MySpace? Student Presentation

Facebook versus MySpace. Looking for an academic answer to the debate? This Tuesday (February 5th), Communication Ph.D. Student Josh Pasek presents some research that sheds light on differences in how users of the sites behave.

MAPSS is having a Pizza-off. For the next few weeks, MAPSS will be ordering Pizza from two different vendors per week. This week, come tell us if you like Avanti or New York Pizza better. Winners will advance to the next week until we have chosen a favorite.

Food will be served at the Education Building (Cubberley) Room 128 at 12:00PM, talk starts at 12:15PM. (RSVP for Pizza at http://www.stanford.edu/group/mapss/colloquium/rsvp_signup_pasek.html)

Tuesday, February 5th
12:15 PM
Education Building (Cubberley) - Room 128

Realizing the Social Internet? Online Social Networking Meets Offline Social Capital

Does Internet use have the potential to build social capital? Emerging evidence suggests that politically knowledgeable, interpersonally trusting, and civically engaged individuals share particular patterns of Internet use. In previous national survey studies, Internet use has been divided into a handful of excessively broad categories, and researchers have been unable to address newer, category-spanning Internet uses as well as the potential impact of individual websites. By examining the use of online social networks in a nationally representative sample of young people, this study explores the varied relationships between indicators of social capital and Internet use on a site-specific level (i.e. Myspace vs. Facebook). Indeed, differences between social networking sites are as large as those between more global categories of use (e.g., informational vs. social networking) and are robust to attempts to account for differences between the users of the sites. In explaining these effects and exploring the differences between social networking sites, we suggest that website use induces a site-specific culture that can either encourage or hinder social capital.

Josh Pasek is a Ph.D. Student in Communication at Stanford University. Formerly a Research Associate at the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, Josh’s Papers have been published in the Journal of Communication Research, American Journal of Education, and the Journal of Applied Developmental Science and have been presented at annual meetings for both the American Political Science Association and the International Communication Association. His research interests include civic education, political socialization, the role of media as a democratic institution, survey design, public opinion, and civic engagement.

All members of the Stanford community are invited to attend and to RSVP in advance to reserve food.
To RSVP, please click here.

Posted by ronbo at 05:37 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.

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

January 04, 2008

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

October 11, 2007

Come to the Stanford University Libraries & Academic Information Resources (SULAIR) Open House October 17 noon - 4:00 p.m. Enjoy music, jugglers, videos and enter a raffle to win great prizes!

Come to the Library Open House</a> on October 17 from noon - 4:00 p.m. Enjoy Music, Jugglers, Videos and enter a raffle for fabulous prizes. SSDS staff will be on hand in Green East to answer your questions. Look for our SSDS table!

Posted by Judy at 01:27 PM

August 22, 2007

From ANES list: An invitation to attend an APSA session on new ANES opportunities for you

To: Friends of ANES

From: The PIs of the American National Election Studies

Re: 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 Chicago!

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

- outcomes of the 2006 Pilot Study
- a number of recent and upcoming research conferences that have ANES ties
- up-to-the-minute developments regarding the 2008-2009 Panel Study (which begins data collection in January)
- the imminent opening of the Online Commons for content proposals for the 2008 Time Series Study
- the implementation of a Bonus Minutes and Complementary cases program for the 2008 Time Series Study

We will also report on collaborations with the Department of Homeland Security, National Longitudinal Surveys, University of Texas, and University of Washington that may 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, September 1st. We have been told that the location is to be the Hyatt hotel, in room Stetson G, but please check the program when you arrive in case of a location
change.

We hope you can be there!

Jon A. Krosnick and Arthur Lupia
ANES Principal Investigators

Posted by ronbo at 07:24 AM

April 24, 2007

APRIL 30 SYMPOSIUM & RECEPTION - CENSUSES & SURVEYS:STILL USEFUL FOR THE COMMON GOOD?

Stanford faculty, students and staff are invited to attend a public symposium and reception on Monday, April 30, from 4:00 - 6:00 pm. in the Jonsson Social Sciences Reading Room, located on the first floor of the Green Library Bing Wing. Admission is free and registration is not required. The event is sponsored by the Social Sciences Resource Center (SSRC) and the Institute for Research in the Social Sciences at Stanford (IRiSS). Three speakers will discuss some of the political controversies and methodological complexities associated with these institutionalized sources for social science research and the formation of public policy:

∙Henry Brady, Professor of Political Science and Public Policy and Director, Survey Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley

∙Kenneth Prewitt, Professor of Public Affairs at Columbia University and former Director of the U.S. Census Bureau

∙Douglas Rivers, Professor of Political Science at Stanford University, Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and founder of the web-based survey research company, Polimetrix

Questions from the audience and a reception will follow. Additional information is available at: http://library.stanford.edu/depts/green/about/rooms/ssrc/about_ssrc/events.html

Posted by Judy at 09:37 AM

September 29, 2006

From ANES List: An invitation for you to a conference on the Psychology of Voting and Elections

Dear ANES community,

You are invited to a conference on:

The Psychology of Voting and Election Campaigns

at Duke University, October 20 and 21, 2006

This exciting interdisciplinary conference will bring together outstanding psychologists with political scientists to address the psychology of elections. Elections transform power relationships and the lives of everyday citizens, but at its core, voting is a psychological act. Understanding why Americans vote as they do illuminates fundamental aspects of human decision-making and social relations. In this spirit, the conference will identify new avenues for developing basic psychological theory through data collected by the American National Election Study surveys between 2007 and 2009. Sixteen scholars will present research that strengthens the critical intellectual bridge between psychology and the investigation of contemporary American politics.

Each presentation will be followed by an extensive discussion among all conference participants of the issues raised during the presentation.

Breakfast will be provided to conference attendees, and a nearby hotel will be available for anyone wishing to attend and stay overnight.

The speakers will include:

- Susan M. Andersen, Department of Psychology, New York University
- Tanya Chartrand, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University
- Geoffrey Cohen, Department of Psychology, University of Colorado
- Gavan J. Fitzsimons, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University
- Jack Glaser, Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley
- John T. Jost, Department of Psychology, New York University
- Charles Judd, Department of Psychology, University of Colorado
- Lee Jussim, Department of Psychology, Rutgers University
- Joachim Krueger, Department of Psychology, Brown University
- Brian Nosek, Department of Psychology, University of Virginia
- Keith Payne, Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina
- Richard E. Petty, Department of Psychology, Ohio State University
- Eldar Shafir, Department of Psychology, Princeton University
- Jim Shah, Department of Psychology, Duke University
- Stacey Sinclair, Department of Psychology, University of Virginia
- Eliot R. Smith, Department of Psychology, Indiana University, Bloomington

The conference is being hosted by Duke University's Social Science Research Institute, in collaboration with the American National Election Studies, and is being funded by the Science Directorate of the American Psychological Association, the Social Science Research Institute at Duke, the Center for Political Studies at the University of Michigan, the American National Election Study, and the National Science Foundation.

Conference organizers are Jon Krosnick (Stanford), Wendy Wood (Duke), Skip Lupia (University of Michigan), and John Aldrich (Duke).

For more information, please consult http://www.ssri.duke.edu/anes/ or contact Barbara Potter (Barbara.Potter@duke.edu).

Posted by ronbo at 04:49 PM

January 18, 2006

GIS: Free Live Web Training Seminar

Understanding Spatial Statistics in ArcGIS 9
Thursday, January 26, 2006
9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., or 3:00 p.m. Pacific standard time

Learn about the spatial statistics tools included as core functionality with ArcView 9, ArcEditor 9, and ArcInfo 9. This seminar will be archived and available for viewing on the Virtual Campus following the live broadcast.

Seminar overview

Using GIS software to perform spatial statistical analysis can be useful for a broad range of application areas including epidemiology, crime analysis, wildlife biology, archaeology, retail analysis, and demographics. ArcGIS 9 software introduces a new set of tools for performing spatial statistical analyses. The ArcGIS spatial statistics geoprocessing tools extend traditional GIS spatial analysis techniques with methods that examine feature distributions (e.g., identifying the geographic center of a set of features or measuring the dispersion of features around their geographic center), analyzing spatial patterns (e.g., determining if a set of features forms a clustered or a dispersed spatial pattern), and mapping spatial clusters or anomalies (e.g., finding hot spots or spatial outliers). This seminar introduces some of the spatial statistics tools included as core functionality with all ArcGIS 9 Desktop licenses (ArcView, ArcEditor, and ArcInfo).

Key points
The presenter will discuss:

* An overview of spatial statistics
* Measuring geographic distributions
* Spatial autocorrelation
* Hot spot analysis

Intended audience
This seminar is designed for those who want to explore the new spatial statistics tools included with ArcGIS 9 software. Participants should be familiar with the ArcGIS geoprocessing framework and basic statistical concepts.

Posted by ronbo at 12:58 PM

May 12, 2005

NCES - NAEP Database Training Seminar Registration Deadline Is May 23

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, will sponsor a three-and-a-half-day advanced studies seminar on the use of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) database for education research and policy analysis.

This seminar is aimed at faculty and advanced graduate students from colleges and universities. Education researchers and policy analysts with strong statistical skills from state and local education agencies and professional associations are also welcome. 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.
The deadline for registration is May 23.

See details and register online:
http://nces.ed.gov/conferences/confinfo.asp?confid=40

Read about tools that aid analysis of NAEP data:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/researchcenter/datatools2.asp

Posted by ronbo at 12:28 PM

April 14, 2005

NELS:88 and ELS:2002 Databases Training Seminar II Announcement

Training will be conducted using the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) and the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002)

Wednesday, July 20, through Friday, July 22, 2005
Washington, DC

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, will sponsor a 2½-day advanced studies seminar on the use of longitudinal education databases for research and policy studies. This seminar will focus specifically on the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) and the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002) databases. The design of NELS:88 and ELS:2002 permits the examination of education, work, and the socialization of youth in the United States and the influences of schools, teachers, community, and family in promoting growth and positive outcomes.

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

Purpose
The overall goal of the seminar is to provide researchers with opportunities to gain access to some of the most comprehensive education resources in the nation and to use NELS:88 and ELS:2002 data in substantive research. The 2½-day seminar will include both lecture and hands-on instruction. Specifically, the seminar will include the following topics and activities:

* an overview of NELS:88 and ELS:2002 sample designs, data components, and coverage;
* methodological and technological issues relevant to data use;
* instruction and practice on how to analyze longitudinal data; and
* hands-on experience in conducting analyses.

National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88)

Beginning with an 8th grade cohort in 1988, NELS:88 provides trend data about critical transitions experienced by young people as they develop, attend school, and embark on their careers. Data were collected from students and their parents, teachers, and high school administrators as well as from existing school records such as high school transcripts. Cognitive tests (math, science, reading, and
history) were administered during the base year (1988), first follow-up (1990), and second follow-up (1992). The third follow-up data were collected in 1994. All dropouts were retained in the study. A fourth follow-up was conducted in the year 2000.

The following are examples of research issues that can be addressed with NELS:88:

* students' academic growth over time;
· the transition from 8th grade to high school;
* the process of dropping out of school, as it occurs from 8th grade on;
* the role of the school in helping the disadvantaged;
* school experiences and academic performance of minority students;
* students' pursuit of the study of mathematics and science;
* features of effective schools;
* access to and choice of postsecondary schools;
* attainment of education and career development;
* transitions to postsecondary education and work; and
* trend analyses with previous longitudinal studies (e.g., NLS-72 & HS&B).

For further information about NELS:88 and a list of available publications which can be downloaded or ordered, visit the NCES website (http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/nels88).

Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002)

ELS:2002 began with a 10th grade cohort in 2002. In addition to students, school administrators, teachers (math and reading), school librarians, and parents were surveyed. A short survey on school facilities was completed by field interviewers. Math and reading cognitive assessment instruments were completed by the students. First follow-up data were collected in the Spring of 2004 when most survey respondents were seniors. Dropouts were followed with certainty. Hopefully, first follow-up data will be available for the seminar.

For further information about ELS:2002, visit the NCES website (http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/els2002).

Qualifications
Participants attending this seminar should have a solid understanding of statistical methods, be experienced in using personal computers, and be proficient in the use of SAS or SPSS statistical software packages.

Applicants will be evaluated on four criteria:
* significance of the proposed research and potential benefit from participation in the seminar;
* consistency of the proposed research agenda with the data available in NELS:88 or ELS:2002;
* experience in educational research; and
* knowledge and skills in statistical analyses and the use of statistical computer packages. (Please see the attached application form for specific questions pertaining to your level of experience.)

Expected Outcome
At the conclusion of the seminar, participants will be asked to make a 5-minute presentation that summarizes analyses that the participant conducted during the seminar. This presentation will include a clear specification of study issues, rationale for the study, study approach (specifications of population, variables, design weights used, etc.), and preliminary analyses (using NELS:88 or ELS:2002).

Financial Support For the Seminar
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.

Location
The seminar will be held in Washington, DC, Wednesday, July 20, 2005, through Friday, July 22, 2005. The exact location has not yet been confirmed. Accepted applicants will be sent information about both the meeting and lodging arrangements.

Application for Admission
If you are interested in attending the seminar, please complete and return the following documents:

1. The application form.
2. A copy of your resume.
3. A 1- to 2-page statement, clearly describing your research study and how the study can be furthered by your participation in the seminar.
4. A letter of recommendation from your faculty advisor if you are a graduate student.

Your proposed research study should include specifications of issues, rationale, and study approach. Space is limited for the seminar. Only completed applications will be considered, and only two applicants from the same organization or institution can be accepted.

NOTE: Applicants are allowed to attend no more than two NCES sponsored seminars within a 6-year period.

Application Deadline
All applications should be received no later than June 6, 2005. Applications will be reviewed and selected candidates will be informed by June 21, 2005. Selected candidates will receive the seminar agenda and information about travel arrangements.

Applications should be returned to: Joy Butler, Synectics for Management Decisions, Inc., 1901 N. Moore Street, Suite 900, Arlington, VA 22209. Contact Joy Butler through e-mail at joyb@smdi.com, by telephone at (703) 807-2315, or by fax
at (703) 528-2857, if you have any questions regarding this seminar.

Posted by ronbo at 05:09 PM

April 08, 2005

Summer Institute for Public Health Practice

From the NW Center for Public Health Practice:

"We are writing to provide you an update on the Summer Institute for Public Health Practice at the University of Washington and send you an electronic copy (pdf) of our 2005 brochure, which includes the complete schedule and registration form. The Institute will be held August 22-26 in Seattle with the theme Public Health Preparedness: Tools for the Frontline.

We are offering five tracks this year, including:

1. Introduction to Epidemiologic Methods
2. Intermediate Epidemiologic Methods
3. Public Health Management: A Case-Based Approach
4. Leadership Challenges During Public Health Emergencies
5. Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

In addition, five nationally recognized public health leaders will address topics of general concern during the plenary sessions.
Plenary Speakers and their topics are:

Mary Selecky, Secretary, Washington State Department of Health
Topic: A View from State Health Agencies

John Agwunobi, MD, MBA, MPH, Secretary of Health and State Health Office, Florida Department of Health
Topic: Natural Disasters

George A. Strait, Jr., MA, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs, University of California, Berkeley
Topic: Risk/Media Communications

Dori B. Reissman, Senior Advisor for Disaster, Terrorism, and Mental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Topic: Psychosocial Aspects of Disasters

Mark W. Oberle, MD, MPH, Associate Dean for Public Health Practice in the School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Washington
Topic: Tsunamis and Emergency Preparedness: A Firsthand Account

Continuing education credit will be offered for various professions based on approximately 25 hours of instruction.
Your help in disseminating the information to public health professionals in your area would be most appreciated!

***SPACE IS LIMITED to about 20-25 people per track
so register early***

For more information, and for registration materials, please see our Web site at http://nwcphp.org/niphp. Early registration tuition (on or before June 17) is $1,000 ($1,300 for the GIS track, which includes a copy of Caliper Maptitude® software)."

Posted by ronbo at 02:05 PM

March 23, 2005

Summer Workshops 2005 For Instructors of Undergraduate Courses in the Social Sciences

The deadline for applications is 15 April 2005. Participants in the program are eligible for scholarship support for subsistence. Details are available at http://www.csiss.org/SPACE/workshops.

Introducing GIS for Undergraduate Social Science Courses
1-6 August 2005, San Francisco, CA
This workshop will introduce social science faculty to GIS and map making. Lectures will cover GIS fundamentals and key concepts, data visualization, and analytical cartography. Labs will consist of step-by-step exercises using material from urban studies, planning, public health, and social policy to teach basic GIS skills. Presentations and discussions on spatially integrated social science, pedagogy, and assessment of student learning will complement the collaborative efforts of workshop leaders and participants in the design of course materials for use in undergraduate teaching. No prior familiarity with GIS or spatial analysis is required.

Instructors: Richard LeGates (coordinator), XiaoHang Liu, Ayse Pamuk, and Barry Nickel (from San Francisco State University), Don Janelle and Stacy Rebich (UCSB). Keynote speaker: Keith Clarke (UCSB).
Co-sponsor with CSISS: The University Consortium for Geographic Information Science www.ucgis.org
Host institution: Institute for Geographic Information Science, San Francisco State University gis.sfsu.edu

GIS & Spatial Modeling for the Undergraduate Social Science Curriculum
10-15 July 2005, Columbus, OH
This workshop focuses on spatial thinking, spatial analytic methods and their applications suited for undergraduate social science courses. These methods include cartographic visualization, space-time modeling of individual behavior, spatial interaction models, spatial point pattern analysis and spatial optimization methods. The workshop will also cover curriculum development,
pedagogy and student learning assessment. Workshop participants will consider how to integrate these methods into instructional modules, exercises, and learning assessment approaches. Requirements to benefit from this workshop include prior experience with computer file and data management in applications of quantitative analysis and GIS in the social sciences.

Instructors: Mei-Po Kwan (coordinator), Alan Murray, Morton O'Kelly, Kathryn Plank, Michael Tiefelsdorf, Ningchuan Xiao (all of The Ohio State University), Sara McLafferty (University of Illinois) and Shih-Lung Shaw (University of Tennessee).
Co-sponsor with CSISS and host institution: Dept. of Geography, The Ohio State University www.geography.ohio-state.edu

Spatial Analysis for the Undergraduate Social Science Curriculum
18-23 July 2005, Santa Barbara, CA
This workshop focuses on spatial methods and perspectives suited for applications in the undergraduate social science curriculum, such as exploratory spatial data analysis and cartographic visualization. Participants will illustrate these methods and design instructional modules and exercises for use in teaching undergraduates. The workshop will also explore strategies for curriculum development and assessment of student learning. Requirements to benefit from this workshop include prior experience with computer file and data management for quantitative analysis and/or basic GIS applications in the social sciences.

Instructors: Stuart Sweeney (coordinator), Sara Fabrikant, Fiona Goodchild, Mike Goodchild, Don Janelle, and Waldo Tobler (of UCSB)
Co-sponsor with CSISS and host institution: Dept. of Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara www.geog.ucsb.edu
Institute for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Research www.isber.ucsb.edu

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For Resources on Spatial Analysis in the Social Sciences, see http://www.csiss.org

Posted by ronbo at 01:01 PM

February 23, 2005

The ICPSR Summer Program 2005

The ICPSR Summer Program web site containing the 2005 Program information/catalog, and application is up and running.

(information from the Summer Program web site)

The ICPSR Summer Program

Since its inception [in 1962], the Consortium has offered the ICPSR Summer Training Program as a complement to its data services. The Summer Program provides a comprehensive, integrated program of studies in research design, statistics, data analysis, and social science methodology. Its instructional environment stresses integration of methods of quantitative analysis within a broader context of substantive social research. Instruction is grounded in interactive, participatory data-analysis utilizing high-end, networked microcomputers. Because of the range of methodological instruction, the opportunity for intensive study, and the quality of instruction and supporting facilities, the Summer Program has become internationally recognized as a preeminent forum for basic and advanced training in the methodologies and technologies of social science research and instruction.

There are two four-week Summer Program sessions, with intensive seminars, special workshops that provide participants with opportunities to examine the impact of various methodologies on specific substantive issues, and workshops that address the practical objectives of providing technical support for computing specialists and data librarians. In addition, research scholars who have made important contributions to the development of social methodology present informal lectures focusing on their most recent research interests.

Participants in each year's Summer Program generally represent about 25 different departments and disciplines from over 200 colleges, universities, and organizations around the world. While sociology, psychology, and political science continue to be represented by the largest number of participants, the increasing number of individuals from across the social and behavioral sciences illustrates the breadth of interest in and impact of the Program.

The Mission of the Summer Program

To offer instruction for the primary development and "upgrading" of quantitative skills by college and university faculty and by nonacademic research scholars
To extend the scope and depth of analytic skills for graduate students, college and university faculty, and research scientists from the public sector
To furnish training for those individuals who expect to become practicing social methodologists
To provide opportunities for social scientists to study those methodologies that seem to have special bearing on specific substantive issues
To create an environment that facilitates an exchange of ideas related to the development of methodologies on the frontier of social research

Posted by ronbo at 02:40 PM

February 15, 2005

New blog created by SSDS

Social Science Data and Software (SSDS) has created a new blog covering news, tips, events, and other items of interest.

Posted by ronbo at 07:39 PM