Reminder: the deadline for submitting abstracts of contributed papers 
for MOLS2006 is just 3 weeks away.

> Call for Contributed Papers
>
> Methodology of Longitudinal Surveys
>
> International Conference to be held at the University of Essex, 
> Colchester UK
>
> 12-14 July 2006
>
> Conference website: http://www.iser.essex.ac.uk/ulsc/mols2006
>
> Submissions are invited for contributed papers to be presented at the 
> conference, Methodology of Longitudinal Surveys (MOLS 2006).  The 
> conference is sponsored by the International Association of Survey 
> Statisticians (IASS) and the UK Economic and Social Research Council 
> (ESRC). The contributed papers programme will complement the programme 
> of approximately 20 monograph papers, which have already been chosen 
> following an earlier call for submissions. Preliminary titles of 
> monograph papers are listed on the conference website.
>
> Contributed papers should address important methodological topics in 
> the design, implementation or analysis of longitudinal surveys. The 
> focus is primarily on surveys that involve collecting data from 
> subjects on multiple occasions. The subjects could be individuals, 
> households, businesses or other establishments. Note that the 
> conference is concerned with the methods used by such surveys, not 
> with the substantive findings.  Topics of interest include, but are 
> not limited to, the following:
>
> ·        Sampling for longitudinal surveys, including sample rotation, 
> refreshment sampling and methods for dealing with population births 
> and deaths;
> ·        Sample management procedures and methods for tracing sample 
> members over time and maintaining contact with sample members;
> ·        Design methods for meeting dual requirements for longitudinal 
> and cross-sectional estimates;
> ·        Instrument design for longitudinal surveys, including the use 
> of dependent interviewing;
> ·        The effects of using different modes of data collection at 
> different waves, multiple modes or changing modes;
> ·        Issues in the collection of data from multiple members of a 
> sampling unit (e.g. household, business), including the use of 
> different respondents at different waves;
> ·        Methods for minimising sample attrition;
> ·        Assessment of non-response bias (unit and item) on 
> longitudinal surveys;
> ·        Adjustment methods for non-response and attrition, including 
> weighting;
> ·        Imputation and other methods for dealing with item missing 
> data, especially wave non-response;
> ·        Respondent conditioning, seam effects and other measurement 
> error issues specific to longitudinal surveys;
> ·        Methods for estimating measurement error that are unique to 
> panel data;
> ·        Use of administrative data to enhance longitudinal surveys;
> ·        Methods for disclosure avoidance and privacy protection in 
> the release of longitudinal data files;
> ·        Ethical issues on longitudinal surveys, including 
> confidentiality and consent;
> ·        Variance estimation for panels, rotating panels and other 
> complex designs;
> ·        Analysis methods specific to repeated measures or duration 
> and event data;
> ·        Analysis of longitudinal survey data under complex designs 
> and informative sampling;
> ·        Nonsampling and sampling errors in panel data analysis;
> ·        Other issues in the analysis of longitudinal survey data.
>
> Contributed papers may provide a review of research and practice in a 
> particular methodological area or present the findings of new 
> methodological research. Submissions will be screened by the MOLS 2006 
> scientific committee, who will select papers that address relevant 
> topics and collectively provide a balanced programme. There is also an 
> opportunity for suitable contributed papers to be considered for 
> inclusion in a special issue of the Journal of Official Statistics 
> (JOS). Details of the process for submission to JOS will be made 
> available once the conference papers have been chosen.
>
> Submissions should consist of an abstract of approximately 500 words, 
> describing clearly the topic that will be addressed, the material that 
> will be drawn upon and the key messages of the paper.  Please include 
> the names, affiliations and email addresses of all authors.  Abstracts 
> should be submitted to [log in to unmask] by 30 
> November 2005, preferably as a Word document.  Informal enquiries 
> regarding possible submissions can be made to [log in to unmask]
>
> Authors will be informed whether or not their submission has been 
> accepted by 31 January 2006.  Authors of accepted contributed papers 
> will be required to register for the conference and to present their 
> paper orally.
>
> For further details of the conference, see the website: 
> http://www.iser.essex.ac.uk/ulsc/mols2006.
>
>
>
> *************************************
> Peter Lynn ([log in to unmask])
> Professor of Survey Methodology
> Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER)
> University of Essex, Colchester, UK CO4 3SQ
> tel: +44 (0)1206 874809; fax: +44 (0)1206 873151
> http://www.iser.essex.ac.uk/
>