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Bureau of Labor Statistics > Consumer Expenditure Survey > Home

Call for Presenters:

2021 Consumer Expenditure Surveys (CE) Microdata Users’ Workshop

Proposals Due: May 7, 2021

Have you used public-use microdata files from the Consumer Expenditure Surveys (CE) in your work (research project, class assignment, journal article, etc.)? If so, we invite you to present at the 2021 CE Microdata Users’ Workshop, to be held July 21-23, following the CE Survey Methods Symposium on July 20.

We are seeking presentations of up to 30 minutes.* There are no limits to the areas of research or degree of sophistication of the papers we seek. They can be descriptive or applied. They can present simple hypothesis testing or elegant model building. Work in progress is as welcome as finished research. However, when preparing the presentation, please note that the emphasis should be on how the data were used, questions or problems encountered, and similar discussion. Results of the research are an important, and perhaps necessary, component of these presentations; nevertheless, the emphasis sought is on application.

Please note that we encourage first-time and novice data users to consider this call as seriously as experienced users. Related to this, the workshop is an excellent forum for students—graduate or advanced undergraduate—to gain experience presenting their work, and to get helpful comments on research in development, including dissertation proposals or theses in progress. In any case, we value presentations and comments from users of all levels of familiarity with these data: They all help us to improve the CE microdata products and services we provide.

While we cannot offer any honoraria to presenters, the workshop is free of charge to all who come. Past workshops have averaged about 50 attendees, so you can anticipate a significant audience for your presentation. In addition, previous workshop attendees have consistently rated these sessions to be among their favorites, especially the presentations giving practical examples of how the data can be used in research.

If you would like to present at the 2021 CE Microdata Users’ Workshop, please answer the questions on the second page of this document, and email your proposal to the review team (CE_Symposium_Workshop@bls.gov) by May 7, 2021.

Thank you for considering this call. If you have a colleague who might be interested in presenting, please forward this invitation. If you have any questions about the workshop, please do not hesitate to contact us.

* Length varies each year depending on the number of accepted proposals.

PRESENTATION PROPOSAL FORM: 2021 Consumer Expenditure Surveys (CE) Microdata Users’ Workshop

The CE program would like to post accepted presentations on the BLS website, unless the submitting author specifies otherwise.

Also, as a presenter, your name, organization, and e-mail address will be included in a handout distributed to participants at the workshop. This information will also be shared in advance with other presenters. However, the information will not be posted online or otherwise made available.

If you have any concerns about either of the topics above, please notify the team at or before the time you submit your proposal. (Note: Choosing to “opt out” of either or both will not affect the consideration of your proposal).

Please provide the following information:

Name(s)/affiliation(s) of presenter(s)

Level of expertise (e.g., first-time user; novice; intermediate; expert; other—please explain) of presenter(s)
Title of presentation
Purpose of research (e.g., article for publication; class project; thesis/dissertation; work project; policy-making; etc.)
Brief description (one paragraph) of the work (goal of work, methods used, etc.)
Data used: Interview Survey; Diary Survey; or both
Quarters/years examined (e.g., 2010Q1-2011Q1).
Data files used: (FMLY, MEMB, EXPN—name all that are appropriate from each survey used).
Have you attended a previous workshop? If so, were you a presenter? Please provide this information for your co-presenter(s), if any, as well. (Note: Attendance status will not influence the consideration of your application. We ask so that if accepted, we can acknowledge returning attendees and presenters in the program.)
Presentation Availability (note any dates/times that you CANNOT attend, or that you prefer to present)

OPTIONAL INFORMATION:

This section is designed both to help us better understand your research, and to provide guidance/suggestions at the workshop. However, consideration of your application will not be adversely affected if none of these items apply.

Problems encountered/solutions used (if any):
Questions/concerns/comments you have for the data/workshop producers:
Suggestions to improve the microdata and documentation:
Additional information about your and (if applicable) your co-authors’ background, the project, etc. that you would care to share:

Last Modified Date: September 2, 2020