Proceedings of the 7th International Socio-Economic Panel User Conference (SOEP2006).

The papers in this special issue of Schmollers Jahrbuch present a selection of the 31 papers presented at the Seventh International Socio-Economic Panel User Conference (SOEP2006) in Berlin from July 3 to 5, 2006. These papers provide a flavor of the work being carried out by the research teams around the world using the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) in a variety of disciplines including economics, sociology, and psychology. The articles deal in particular with intergenerational relations, labor market outcomes, income inequality, and subjective well-being. Some of the papers in this special issue also make use of the new survey instruments introduced into SOEP in response to current trends in social and behavioral research. In a supplementary section of this issue, the "European Data Watch" provides information on these recent innovations within the SOEP study as well as an overview of the survey.