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About LSAY

Welcome to the LSAY web site!

For more than three decades, a loyal group of young Americans have participated in a national study to allow the nation to understand the thinking and the life experiences of Generation X. This web site reflects the thousands of hours of time and effort that LSAY participants have put into completing questionnaires, taking tests, and sharing their information about new addresses, new names, and new members of their family. We hope that the LSAY will continue to monitor the history and the future of Generation X for years to come and we have attempted to make this web site a useful place for staying in touch with the study and sharing the results of this work.

In 2014, the LSAY began a new cohort of 7th grade students who reflect Generation Y or the Millennial Generation and followed these students for a one year period. These students and their parents will be able to use this web site. We have attempted to make the site functional for both the older LSAY participants and for the newest LSAY participants.

The Participants section is designed to make it easier for LSAY members to update their mailing and other address information (including email addresses) and to send short messages or inquiries to the LSAY staff. This link includes our 800 number and other information that may be useful in maintaining your link to the study.

The Publications link provides a listing of all of the major articles and reports that have been produced from LSAY data over the last 20 years, including our quarterly research report on our older cohorts: The Generation X Report. This listing of articles will be of interest to LSAY participants and to other scholars who may wish to engage in secondary analysis of the data.

The Resources section provides information about how interested scholars can obtain access to a blinded copy of the data files (files with all of the personal information removed) and links to other studies of potential interest.

The About LSAY section includes information about the history of the project and our staff. We have provided contact points for participants, interested scholars, and the media.

We hope that you find this site to be useful. If you have thoughts about ways to make it more useful, please use our Contact Us link and send me a message.

Best wishes.

Jon D. Miller
Director
Longitudinal Study of American Youth
Institute for Social Research
University of Michigan