L.A.FANS DATA USERS’ WORKSHOP: FOR NEW AND EXPERIENCED USERS

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SUMMER INSTITUTE ON

L.A.FANS DATA USERS’ WORKSHOP: FOR NEW AND EXPERIENCED USERS
(not for credit)

July 20-24, 2015
Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan.

Instructors: Anne Pebley, UCLA; Narayan Sastry, University of Michigan; Paula Fomby, University of Michigan; Andrew Hicks, Harvard University and Malia Jones, USC

The Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey (L.A.FANS) is an important research tool for investigating the effects of neighborhood social and physical context for families, adults, and children. The setting for L.A.FANS is Los Angeles County, California.  Wave 1 of L.A.FANS was conducted in 2000-2001 and Wave 2 was conducted in 2006-2008. The unique longitudinal design of the survey traces the movements of residents into and out of neighborhoods, and captures changes over time in sampled neighborhoods and in family, adult, and child outcomes.  L.A.FANS is particularly valuable for the study of spatial patterns of urban and suburban behavior.  The geospatial information collected in L.A.FANS is unparalleled among large, representative surveys in the U.S. and, thus, plays a crucial role in advancing spatial demography and understanding the role of place in daily life.

The L.A.FANS Summer Workshop is designed for researchers to upgrade their knowledge or learn to use the L.A.FANS data for research. The format of the workshop is morning lectures on topics including basic survey content, sample design, weighting, and restricted data files, along with a hands-on data workshop each afternoon in which participants learn to work with the data under the guidance of L.A.FANS staff.  The workshop is designed for faculty, researchers, and doctoral students. Participants should be familiar with Stata or SAS, although all examples used in the workshop will be in Stata. Prior experience with L.A.FANS data or other survey data is desirable but not essential. No funding for travel or lodging is available for participants.

Enrollment Fee:  Reduced fee of $250 is only applicable until May 1, 2015, after that date the cost is $550.

There are a limited number of L.A.FANS workshop fellowships available for promising students.  These fellowships cover the enrollment fees and provide $500 towards costs for travel, accommodation, and living expenses. To be considered for a fellowship, please send to the Summer Institute (isr-summers@umich.edu) the following items NO later than May 1, 2015:

  • A statement of one page or less that clearly describes: (1) why attending the L.A.FANS workshop is important to your success, what you hope to gain from the workshop, and what your plans are for analyzing the L.A.FANS data; and (2) any sources of funding you expect to receive to cover the fees and costs for attending the workshop.
  • Provide the name and e-mail address for your faculty advisor or employer who the L.A.FANS project will be able to contact directly to inquire about your background and preparation for the workshop and how effective you will likely be in using the information and knowledge you acquire in the workshop for your future research.