This poster details developments of two harmonised datasets created at the Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER) at the University of Essex (UK) in conjunction with the Department of Sociology at the University of Calgary (Canada). The older dataset, the Multinational Time Use Study (MTUS), sprang from the inspiration of Professor Jonathan Gershuny, then working with Sally Jones at the University of Bath in the early 1980s. The early MTUS built from the 1965 Szalai Multinational Time Budget Study and harmonised mainly European datasets collected in the early 1960s through the mid 1980s into a common series of background variables and total time spent per day in 41 activities. The MTUS has grown to encompass over 50 datasets from 19 countries, and is now incorporating recent data from the HETUS, ATUS, and other national level time use projects. The recently released American Historical Time Use Study (AHTUS) was developed for the Glaser Progress Foundation at Yale University. From 2003, the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the USA began collecting first continuous time use data as an add-on to the CPS. Not only is this American Time Use Study (ATUS) the first continuous record of changes in daily activities, this dataset also covers the largest time use sample yet collected. The ATUS will allow the monitoring of trends in the use of time in the USA, but as a new study, it does not independently allow a backward view of change over time. The AHTUS has harmonised older USA time use studies into a format for cross-time analysis with the ATUS. Both projects have entailed methodological work to improve the quality of the time use data and to optimise the harmonisation of the variables for cross-time and cross- national analysis. Both datasets are free for use to the research community. The AHTUS will inform the next generation of the MTUS, which will include harmonised sequence, who else is present, and location data in addition to aggregated activity summaries. Comparative time use data resources: the Multinational Time Use Study and the American Heritage Time Use datasets Kimberly Fisher, Jonathan Gershuny, Anne H. Gauthier, and Muriel Egerton AHTUS MTUS PURPOSE: Allow analysis of cross-time changes in national accounts in the USA PURPOSE: Allow analysis of cross-time and cross-national changes in daily activities DATA INCLUDED (release 1) University of Michigan studies – both Jackson, Michigan (Szalai) and 44 metropolitan areas samples ICPSR 4 wave longitudinal study 1985 ICPSR mail back sample NHAPS 2003 ATUS Future data to be added 1995 NHAPS extension, ICPSR, 2004 ATUS DATA INCLUDED (release 5.5.2) Australia 1987, 1992, 1997 Austria 1992 Canada 1971/72, 1981, 1986, 1992, 1998 Denmark 1964 Finland 1979, 1987/88, 1999/2000 France 1998/99 Germany 1992 Italy 1989 Netherlands 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000 Norway 1971, 1981, 1990/91, 2000/01 Slovenia 2000/01 South Africa 2000 Sweden 1990/91, 2000 UK 1961, 1974/75, 1983, 1987, 1995, 2000/01 USA 1965/66, 1975/76, 1985, 1992/94, 1998/01, Current MTUS activity codes Total Minutes in 24 Hours AV1 paid workAV2 paid work at home AV3 second job AV4 school, classes AV5 travel to/from work AV6 cook, wash up AV7 doing housework AV8 doing odd jobs AV9 gardeningAV10 shopping AV11 childcare AV12 domestic travel AV13 for dressing/toiletAV14 receive services AV15 eat meals or snacks AV16 sleep AV17 travel for leisure AV18 on excursions AV19 engage in sports AV20 watch sports AV21 walking AV22 religious activity AV23 civic, volunteer AV24 cinema/theatre AV25 dances/parties AV26 social clubs AV27 pubs AV28 restaurants AV29 visiting friends AV30 radio AV31 TV/video AV32 listen to recording AV33 study AV34 read books AV35 read paper/magazine AV36 relaxing AV37 conversation AV38 entertain friends AV39 knit, sew AV40 other hobbies AV41 missing Future work Update activity list Add recent datasets More time series Harmonised sequence data Separately aggregated sole & simultaneous activity Add context variables End 2006 for new prototype Data Structure - main files Covers diarists aged 18+ Main respondent only 1975/76 3 data files per survey - Background/demographic - Episode (main, secondary, in/outside, location, who else present, start/stop time, duration) - Aggregated time (sole activity & act with secondary childcare summed separately) Supplementary Files 1975/76 spouse + main respondent Child (aged 0-17) diaries 1992/94 Child (aged 15-17) diaries 2003 Early analysis