The investigator and her colleagues propose to host a national interdisciplinary conference in October 2006 to address key methodological issues related to social science statistics. These areas are: structural equation modeling with latent variables, multilevel modeling, test theory and item response theory, social networks, survey sampling, cluster analysis and program evaluation. Speakers include both prominent researchers in statistical and social science areas, along with beginning assistant professors, post-doctoral researchers, and graduate students. The format of this conference provides ample opportunities for participation of young researchers through contributed papers, posters and roundtable panel discussion. Another unique aspect of this conference is its interdisciplinary nature, providing an environment of exchange of ideas between persons that do not share common conferences and hence do not often interact.
Research in the social sciences is a dynamic area that has been traditionally driven by applications in psychology, sociology, education and economics. This conference on cutting-edge Methodological Developments of Statistics in the Social Sciences brings together both established and young researchers from a diverse set of fields -- mathematical statistics, psychology, education, government, sociology, and political science. The results of this endeavor will enhance our understanding of the contemporary issues in quantitative methodologies of social sciences, and has enormous potential for the betterment of society.
