Call for Abstracts, Social Observatories Coordinating Network Conference on New Data Linkages

The Social Observatories Coordinating Network (https://socialobservatories.org) is planning to hold a conference in the Washington DC area in March 2016. The conference will highlight research programs that demonstrate novel linkages between at least two distinct data sources, types, or modalities and which answer an important social scientific question. Examples of novel data linkages include—but are by no means limited to—new combinations of survey and administrative data; psychometrics and air quality; community indicators and individual observational data; social analytics and voting data; and social media and economic indicators. Papers must relate empirical results from a study that addresses a specific research question (i.e. mere description of data resources is not sufficient). Themes are equally open. Of particular interest are social mobility; social change and adaptation; social inequality; and other key social and behavioral science topics. Paper drafts will be presented at a conference on March 24-25, 2016. Revised papers will be submitted for an edited volume of a journal. Selected participants will have conference expenses paid and will receive a modest honorarium upon the successful acceptance of their article. Interested researchers should submit a 3-5 page paper prospectus or abstract to Sandra Hofferth at hofferth@umd.edu by August 20, 2015. Submitters will be notified by October 15, 2015.