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Data Extractors | Data Archives

Social Science Data Archives:

This page describes a selection social science data archives. Each one carries a variety of social science data sets. Archives have various policies with regard to cost of data, availability of data and ancillary information, and restrictions (if any) on the use of data.

Multiple Subject Sites

Single Subject Sites

Multiple Subject Sites

ICPSR is the largest archive of social science data in the world, with thousands of studies in eighteen major subject areas. Holdings can be searched or browsed. The great power of ICPSR is not simply the availability of data sets (in compressed and uncompressed format), but the availability of ancillary information such as data definition statements, and exhaustive descriptive metadata about data sets. ICPSR also has subsets of subject specific data arranged into archives in the fields of education, aging, criminal justice, and substance abuse & metal health (see below). The archive can be browsed or searched by keyword (three fields or study number).

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  • Council of European Social Science Data Archives (CESSDA)

    • (http://www.nsd.uib.no/cessda/)

    • Cost: Varies by archive.

    • What is available: Varies by archive.

    • Restrictions: Vary by archive. CESSDA is a metasite that allows users to connect to over 30 data archives around the world. It provides a browseable (via maps) interface to these archives, and a searchable interface to eleven of them via its catalog, which can be searched by any of five fields. The availability of data is dependent upon the archive. CESSDA provides easy one stop shopping for worldwide data.

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NARA's CER contains electronic records arranged by agencies of the US government. The title list is the easiest means of access to its holdings. Data are on various media (mostly 9-track and 3480 tapes, CD-ROMS or diskettes). Almost all data from NARA is made available in uncompressed format. Users must order the data they are interested in, the media it is to be delivered on, and the accompanying documentation. Data is available from eighteen major agencies in the three branches of government. Holdings can be browsed but not searched. There is little descriptive information about the data. Note that the title list is only a partial listing of all CER's holdings. Users should contact the center for more information. Contact information is available at the bottom of the title list.

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CPC research projects specialize in health and welfare in the Philippines, China, and Russia. They also include the well known ADD Health Study, a "school-based study of the health-related behaviors of adolescents in grades 7-12." CPC projects include the CEBU Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey (1983-84 and 1991-92), the China Health and Nutrition Survey (1989, 91, and 93), the MEASURE Evaluation Project (data available for two countries at this time), the Nang Rong Projects (1994 data only available at this time), the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (ADD Health, two waves available only through Sociometrics (http://www.socio.com/srch/summary/afda2/fam48-50.htm) and the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey. The ADD Health site contains an extensive summary data extraction system.  Data is usually available after completing a data request form, and may be available in SAS Export format. Extensive descriptions and metadata are available about each study.

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DPLS contains over 30 publicly available data sets at this time. The collection is eclectic and ranges from census returns in 15th century Verona, Italy to an evaluation of the National Science Foundation's "Why Files." The archive is particularly strong, as would be expected, in Wisconsin data. One of the highlights of that data is the Wisconsin Longitudinal Survey. Studies can be browsed only at this time.

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ISR contains the following major data sets: Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old (AHEAD), Health and Retirement Study (HRS), Monitoring the Future (MTF), the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), and the PSID Child Development Supplement. All of these studies (except Monitoring the Future) have links to electronic data and documentation. HRS/AHEAD has restrictions. HRS/AHEAD and PSID are accompanied by extraction systems. Monitoring the Future data and documentation can be found at ICPSR (http://www.icpsr.umich.edu). Search at ICPSR for "Monitoring the Future."

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The Roper Center specializes in  public opinion polls. While almost all of its data is fee based, it does provide a Presidential Job Performance web site, with selected poll information for presidents from Franklin Delano Roosevelt to the present. Roper is also the distributor of the well known General Social Survey, on omnibus survey on American social attitudes. Studies can be searched or browsed.

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  • Socionet--Sociometrics

    • (http://www.socio.com/)

    • Cost: Yes.

    • What is available: Downloadable or CD-ROM data, program command statements, electronic SPSS dictionary, printed user's guide (codebook), data set descriptions, and other ancillary services, depending on the data set or data archive.

    • Restrictions: Depends on the data set.

Sociometrics provides data in six major areas: sexuality, health & adolescence; family; social research on aging; drug abuse; AIDS/STD; and disability. Each data set contains descriptive information. Studies can be searched or browsed. More than 350 studies are available.

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NBER Data contains aggregate and individual economic, demographic, hospital, and education data. Included may be compressed data files, electronic documentation, and selected SAS, SPSS or STATA data statements. Some of the links are to NBER archives, others to outside archives.

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Rand offers compressed time series data, descriptions, and SAS format for its datasets.

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Single Subject Sites

ARDA "collects quantitative data sets for the study of American religion" in the general areas of  selected religious groups, religious professionals, and aggregate data files. Extensive descriptive metadata is available for each file. Files can be searched as well as browsed. A basic extraction system provides frequencies and selected cross tabulations. At present over 80 studies are available, including Church and Church Membership in the United States for 1952, 1971, 1980, and 1990. Studies can be browsed only at this time.

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DCS seeks to "collect computerized social science data for People's Republic of China and [provide] open [access] to the academic community. [Its] aim is to promote data sharing in ...  China research and to serve the community with more quality data sets at lower costs. Since established in 1995, it houses over twenty large and and medium sized data sets from China." The archive is divided into data owned by DCS, which can be obtained through the archive, and data owned outside of DCS, for which the archive provides contact information. Data includes household surveys, economic surveys, fertility surveys, and general omnibus surveys. Studies can be browsed only at this time.

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Demographic and Health Surveys, provided by Macro International, "collect information on fertility and family planning, maternal and child health, child survival, AIDS/STIs, and other reproductive health topics. Surveys are implemented by host-country institutions, usually government statistical offices. On average, 4,000 to 8,000 women of childbearing age are interviewed in a standard survey. Many countries also survey men on family planning and health issues." At present data is available for over 50 countries in the developing world. Studies can be browsed only at this time.

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ICPSR, in cooperation with the National Center for Education Statistics, provides this archive of educational data. The archive, at this time, contains basic educational survey data in the areas of  elementary/secondary surveys, educational assessment, postsecondary surveys, and longitudinal surveys, among others. The descriptive metadata that accompanies these surveys, as well as the ancillary information in the form of electronic documentation and/or statistical program data definition statements (when available) give this site its power. Studies can be browsed or searched.

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ISSP is dedicated to cross-national social science research. To this end, the Central Archive for Emprical Social Research provides access to twelve different surveys at this time, in areas such as "Role of Government," "Family and Changing Sex Roles," "Religion," "Social Inequality," and "National Identity." Surveys were done in different years from 1985 onward and in different countries (mostly European and North American). ISSP makes available a CD-ROM with all surveys and documentation. It also provides a query system that allows users to retrieve codebook questions. Studies can be browsed but not searched.

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LSMS was created by the World Bank in 1980. Its purpose is to "explore ways of improving the type and quality of household data collected by government statistical offices in developing countries. The objectives of the LSMS were to develop new methods for monitoring progress in raising levels of living, to identify the consequences for households of current and proposed government policies, and to improve communications between survey statisticians, analysts, and policymakers." To date, surveys have been done in about 25 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, Central and South America, and Russia. Data availability and restriction varies by country. Studies can be browsed but not searched.

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Murray Research Center is "a center for research on the changing lives of American women. The center's primary purpose is to promote the use of existing social science data to explore human development and social change. To this end the Center has established a national archive of over 200 studies that it makes available for new research." Each study contains extensive descriptive metadata and is available in SPSS portable format. Study sizes range from one (Monica Study--one individual and her family) to over 1,000 (American Couples). Most study sizes are small. A subset of the data archive can be found in Murray's Mental Health Archive. Studies can be browsed or searched.

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ICPSR, in cooperation with the Bureau of Justice Statistics, provides this free, public archive of data. Data is available in eleven subject areas: attitude surveys; community studies; corrections; court case processing; courts; criminal justice system; crime and delinquency; official statistics; police; victimization; and drugs, alcohol & crime. Studies can be browsed or searched. An online data extraction system (producing summary data or customized subsets of data) is available for selected data sets.

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ICPSR, in cooperation with the National Institute on Aging (NIA), provides this archive, which seeks "to advance research on aging by helping researchers to profit from the under-exploited potential of a broad range of data sets. NACDA acquires and preserves data relevant to gerontological research, processing as needed to promote effective research use, disseminates them to researchers, and facilitates their use." Studies are available in six categories: demographic characteristics of older adults; social characteristics of older adults; economic characteristics of older adults;  psychological characteristics, mental health, and well-being of older adults; physical health and functioning of older adults; and health care needs, utilization, and financing for older adults. The site also provides restricted access to selected microdata census samples from "The Dynamics of Population Aging in ECE Countries" project. Studies can be browsed or searched.

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Princeton's OPR offers selected fertility related surveys for public use. Data are most often in DOS compressed (.zip) format and include European Fertility Decline data, the World Fertility Survey for 41 countries from 1974-1983, and phase I and II Chinese Fertility Surveys for selected provinces (1985 and 1987). Studies can be browsed only at this time.  Some data is accompanied by online codebooks.

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ICPSR, in cooperation with the Department of Health and Human Services, provides this free, public archive of data. Data is available in the areas of substance abuse and mental health. The archive also points to information and/or data available from several other mental health related studies. Studies can be browsed. An online data extraction system (producing summary data or customized subsets of data) is available for selected data sets. The archive also provides a handy core matrix of data items covered in each study.

Last updated 08/22/2005 by Jack Solock jsolock@ssc.wisc.edu
Special Librarian, CDE Information Services

© 2000 University of Wisconsin Center for Demography and Ecology
http://www.ssc.wisc.edu/cde/library/info.htm