Statistics

Statistics	Submit Abstract
The Statistics Section invites you to submit individual abstracts, groups of abstracts (Special Interest Sessions), and student abstracts (Student Paper Session) for the 2008 APHA Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA (October 25-29, 2008). You can submit your abstract online anytime between December 17, 2007 and February 5, 2008. This is the year in which our Section celebrates its 100th anniversary since founding, along with the Health Administration Section. Thus, in addition to our usual list of primarily statistical methodologic topics, we are interested in papers that show the role that statistical methods have played in any of the major innovations in public health during the last 100 years; suggest possible challenges for statisticians in helping to address the most important public health challenges that we will face during the next 100 years; show innovative applications of statistical methodology to current public health problems, especially where the level of collaboration between the statistician and the lead investigators is particularly deep; This means that our interests are broader than usual this year--You don't need to be a member of our section, or a professional statistician, to submit a paper of interest through the Statistics Section. We are particularly interested in papers matching one of the above areas of interest that are well-integrated with the theme of the 2008 Annual Meeting, which is "Public Health Without Borders". The Epidemiology Section has expressed their interest in co-sponsoring or jointly sponsoring sessions with us, particularly in the area of evidence-based statistics. Other Sections will most likely express an interest in co-sponsorship later. For further information or to submit suggestions for the program (which are always welcome) contact James Leeper by phone (205-348-1355) or email (jleeper@cchs.ua.edu). List of Session Topics Applications of Statistical Methods to GIS-based Analyses Evidence-based Statistics General Methods and Topics; Special Interest Sessions Health Survey Research Methodology and Applications History of Statistical Methods and Applications Innovations in Biostatistical Methods and Applications Lowell Reed Lecture; Spiegelman and Statistics Section Awards Modeling Techniques in Health Outcomes Research Poster Session Statistics Section Business Meeting and Social Hour Statistics Section Council Meeting Student Papers This list of topics will surely undergo modification between now and the Annual Meeting. So even if your research does not fit neatly into one of them, simply submit it under the heading "General Methods and Topics; Special Sessions". We welcome papers on other topics of relevance to statistics in public health, particularly where they (1) focus on how statistics is used (or was used) to help develop and implement important public health interventions, or (2) show close teamwork between statisticians and other public health professionals. We also remain interested in new information systems and database methodologies and applications for collecting, storing, mining and analyzing large public health survey, administrative, and medical databases. If you are submitting an abstract that is linked with other abstracts in a joint session, submit the abstract on-line, but also notify James Leeper (Program Chair) at jleeper@cchs.ua.edu of the group of abstracts to which yours belongs. Individual Abstract Submissions Submit individual abstracts according to the on-line instructions. (Non-students need submit only an abstract; enter "N/A" where a summary is requested.) We will judge the abstract on your clarity of presentation, originality, methodology and contribution to the field of statistics. The highest rated abstracts, based on blinded peer review, are generally selected and placed in sessions according to the overall program plan. Oral presentations at contributed sessions are usually fifteen minutes in length. Presenters at poster sessions should display their work and be available to answer questions throughout their scheduled 90-minute session. We will take your preference for oral versus poster presentation into consideration, but the Program Committee considers every abstract for both oral and poster presentation. You should submit material only if you are committed to presenting the paper or poster personally, or will find a substitute who will register, attend the meeting and present your paper or poster. Student Research Session The Statistics Section is also accepting abstract submissions for a student research session. Students wishing to be considered for this session should submit online an abstract and also a 2-page summary of the paper. The author must be a member of the Statistics Section. A letter from a faculty member attesting to the author's student status must also be provided to the Program Chair. If you run into trouble submitting your two-page summary through the official APHA website, just e-mail it to jleeper@cchs.ua.edu. Special Interest Session Proposals The Statistics Section also invites the submission of proposals for special interest sessions pertinent to "Public Health Without Borders", which of course is the theme of the 136th Annual Meeting. You should submit individual abstracts for a Special Interest Session according to the on-line instructions. If you would like to organize such a session, please send a description of your proposal to James Leeper at jleeper@cchs.ua.edu (if possible, (in advance of submitting your abstracts!) Once it is approved, we'll create a session slot for you that will appear in the final sessions list, and ultimately, in the Meeting Program. In your proposal, please include the organizer's full mailing address, e-mail address, telephone and fax numbers; session title; a brief (1-2 pages) overview describing the purpose, relevance and importance of the proposed session; topics and participants, including the proposed presiders(s), titles of each presentation, full names of all authors, with full names of presenters underlined (as in the on-line abstract); a time schedule within the session (begin the session at 0:00 hrs and end it at 1:30). A presentation at a Special Interest Session may be up to 30 minutes in length. We suggest that Special Interest Sessions allow time for a discussant. Review of Special Interest Sessions All Special Interest Session proposals and abstracts will be peer reviewed. All abstracts will be evaluated on their individual merits; acceptance of a Special Interest Session does not guarantee that all abstracts submitted for that session will be accepted, or that they can all be scheduled together. Unless instructed otherwise, the Program Committee will automatically consider the individual abstracts from any rejected Special Interest Session for presentation in Contributed Abstract sessions.
	Submit Abstract
Program Planner Contact Information: James D. Leeper, PhD College of Community Health Sciences / Department of Rural & Community Medicine The University of Alabama Box 870327 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0327 Phone: 205/348-1355 Fax: 205/348/7685 jleeper@cchs.ua.edu