York's Summer Program in Data Analysis (SPIDA) is an eight-day series of intensive lectures and workshops designed to train social science researchers in the theory and practice of linear models and multilevel [or mixed] models, as they are applied to hierarchical and longitudinal data. The Program runs from June 2nd to June 10th, 2010.

While the techniques are widely applicable, SPIDA aims to encourage analysis of Statistics Canada's longitudinal surveys, now available at the Research Data Centres in a number of universities across Canada.

The SPIDA program is strongly oriented to the development of working skills in data analysis, as well as providing participants with the necessary statistical background.

Each day of instruction combines a lecture presentation in the morning and an afternoon computer lab. Lunch time talks provide interesting examples of the application of the techniques being taught. Our goal is to provide participants with the knowledge, techniques and skills to use these methods in their own research.

SPIDA is funded by the Canadian Initiative on Social Statistics (CISS), a co-operative project of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and Statistics Canada.