2001 NLSY CHILD/YOUNG ADULT WORKSHOP FOR NEW RESEARCHERS

Ohio State University, Columbus OH

Investigators

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objective of this project is to inform a cross-disciplinary group of about 25 young professionals in the social sciences about the utility of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79) child and young adult longitudinal data file for their research agenda. A five-day workshop planned for the summer of 2001 would provide comprehensive instruction to dissertation or postdoctoral level scholars from the disciplines of sociology, psychology (in particular developmental and child psychology), economics, and possibly public health, about the efficacy of this omnibus data set for their own research. It would provide (1) a general introduction to the data set, (2) methodological instruction relating to several topics that are particularly relevant for research with this data set, and (3) specialized training about how to use the data set, in sessions tailored to the research interests of the participants. The workshop sessions will be led by a group of highly qualified professionals from the various disciplines noted above. They include researchers who have national reputations in the social sciences, have extensively researched the topics to be included in the workshop, and additionally have used the NLSY79 main and child data sets. In 1988, a similar workshop was held, which resulted in a large number of new researchers becoming extensive, and in some cases lifelong users of the data set. This workshop has had a profound effect on the utilization of these data across several disciplines. Since that date, the utility of the data set for child and adolescent research has greatly expanded, reflecting (1) the augmentation of the file with 14 additional years of child and adolescent psychometric, behavioral and attitudinal information, (2) the greatly increased heterogeneity of the sample of mothers and children and (3) the dramatic improvement in hardware, software and statistical capability, The primary objective of the proposed workshop is to publicize and encourage the use of this unique longitudinal data file for a whole new generation of social science researchers.