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/