NOVEMBER 10, 2005
Presented at the Hyatt Regency Bethesda, Maryland

ROBERT M. GROVES
Research Professor, Joint Program in Survey Methodology
Director, Survey Research Center, University of Michigan

J. MICHAEL BRICK
Director, Survey Methods Unit
Senior Statistician, Westat
Research Professor, Joint Program in Survey Methodology, University of Maryland

COURSE OBJECTIVE
This course is designed to help in addressing new OMB guidelines for conducting nonresponse bias studies when response rates in surveys are less than 80 percent or there is reason to suspect that estimates are biased from nonresponse. Practical tools are described and examples are used to illustrate methods that can be used to conduct these studies. The advantages and disadvantages of these methods are presented, and the value of having multiple approaches is highlighted. The need to devise strategies for nonresponse and for its analysis in the planning stage, prior to completing the survey are emphasized.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND
Individuals in government, universities, business and nonprofit organizations who are involved in the development, implementation or evaluation of surveys, especially surveys for the federal government. The course will assume a working knowledge of data collection methods in survey research. Examples will be presented and only rudimentary statistical knowledge of concepts such as bias and variance of the estimates is required of participants.

THE INSTRUCTORS
Robert. M. Groves is Research Professor at the Joint Program in Survey Methodology and Director, University of Michigan Survey Research Center.  He is the author of Survey Errors and Survey Costs and co-author of the new text Survey Methodology (both by Wiley).  He is a student of survey participation, working now on behavioral foundations of decisions to participate in surveys and the determinants of nonresponse error arising from nonparticipation.

Dr. J. Michael Brick is the director of the Survey Methods Unit and a senior statistician at Westat. He is also a research professor in the Joint Program in Survey Methodology at the University of Maryland. He has been involved in a wide variety of statistical and methodological studies over the past 30 years.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

COURSE MATERIALS

JPSM group lunches and refreshments are included in the course fee. Registrants will be provided with a course pack containing course notes.

INFORMATION, REGISTRATION, PAYMENT AND CANCELLATION:  https://projects.isr.umich.edu/jpsm/
JPSM SPONSOR AFFILIATE LIST: https://projects.isr.umich.edu/jpsm/sponsorlist.cfm

REGISTRATION
Online registration is required. Confirmation of acceptance will be sent after the registration form has been processed. Registration is not firm until you receive an acceptance email. The email will include directions to the course. The automatic web registration number is not an acceptance letter.  Payment by credit card is required. Post registration payment may be done online using the web generated registration number or by calling (800) 937-9320. The registration deadline is October 27, 2005.

CANCELLATION
Please notify JPSM as soon as possible if you need to cancel your registration. Cancellation requests should be done online. You will be fully reimbursed if you cancel by October 27, 2005. Cancellation October 28 - November 2, 2005 will require a $100 administrative fee, the remainder will be reimbursed. Cancellation on or after November 3, 2005 is subject to the full fee amount.

LOCATION
The course will be held at the Hyatt Regency Bethesda, One Bethesda Metro Center, at Wisconsin Avenue and Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda, Maryland. The hotel is in the heart of Maryland's high-tech corridor with convenient access to the Capital Beltway and the Metro subway system. The Hyatt is accessible via the Metro Red Line at the Bethesda Metro stop. For overnight room reservations, call the Hyatt Regency Bethesda at 301-657-1234. There is a parking garage located directly underneath the Hotel which offers both valet and self-parking. The garage is not owned or operated by the Hyatt Regency. http://bethesda.hyatt.com/property/areaguide/maps/index.jhtml

FELLOWSHIPS
The Joint Program in Survey Methodology strives to increase the number of survey professionals from groups traditionally under-represented in the field. As part of this effort, a limited number of competitive fellowships are available to African-Americans, Latinos, Hispanic Americans, and Native American Indians for the short course. The registrant must be a US citizen or permanent resident. The applicants should submit:

If you are applying for a fellowship, please be certain to register early. Applications are due before October 13, 2005. JPSM will evaluate the applications and inform the successful applicants by October 20, 2005. The fellowship covers the registration fee, materials to be distributed during the course and the JPSM group continental breakfasts, lunches and breaks.

JPSM CITATION PROGRAMS 
The citation programs are built around the JPSM short courses. The JPSM Citation in Introductory Survey Methodology is designed to provide the working professional and interested students with state-of-the-art knowledge about current principles and practices for conducting complex surveys combined with practical skills of day-to-day utility. The JPSM Citation in Introductory Economic Measurement is designed for professional staff requiring a grounding in the principles and practices of economic measurement. Completion of the citation programs involves taking a semester-length JPSM credit-bearing course and eight JPSM short courses, of which four are specified core courses. For information on the Certificate and Citation Programs visit the website at http://www.jpsm.org or call 301-314-7911.

INQUIRIES
Questions for this course should be directed to the JPSM Short Course, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, 426 Thompson Street, Room 4050, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1248, Phone: (800) 937-9320, Fax: (734) 764-8263, Email: jpsmshort@isr.umich.edu .

JPSM HOME PAGE: http://www.jpsm.org Click on "Short Courses".
INFORMATION, REGISTRATION, PAYMENT AND CANCELLATION:  http://projects.isr.umich.edu/jpsm/
SPONSOR AFFILIATE LIST: https://projects.isr.umich.edu/jpsm/sponsorlist.cfm