An Introduction to the Social Science Databases

Workshop Agenda  Overview  Data Archives ICPSR ICPSR Field Field Roper Roper  Survey Documentation and Analysis  Teaching Resources Depository  Site for Instructional Materials & Information  Lunch  Individual Questions and Help

Online Workshop Resources  This PowerPoint Presentation This PowerPoint Presentation This PowerPoint Presentation  List of URLs Used List of URLs Used List of URLs Used

SSRIC Social Science Research & Instructional Council

SSRIC  Oldest CSU discipline council Founded in 1972Founded in 1972  Representatives from CSU campuses meet three times per year  Negotiates with data providers for access to data  Promotes use of data analysis in research and teaching

 Sponsors an annual spring student research conference (at CSU EB in 2007, was at CSUN in 2006)  Sponsors travel to ICPSR summer workshops in Ann Arbor, Michigan. See  Works with Field Research Allocates question credits to California Field PollAllocates question credits to California Field Poll Selects a faculty fellowSelects a faculty fellow SSRIC

Social Science Databases  The California State University subscribes to a number of social science databases to support Teaching Teaching Research Research Administration Administration  Available to campuses by annual subscription

Social Science Databases  Assistance from the SSRIC Note: SSRIC members are not staff data consultants or technical assistance providers, but we will do what we can to help students, faculty and staff to access data Note: SSRIC members are not staff data consultants or technical assistance providers, but we will do what we can to help students, faculty and staff to access data  Campus representatives:

Social Science Data Bases  Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR)  Field Poll  Roper Center

Proxy Servers *  On-campus access to data bases is IP authenticated.  For off-campus access to ICPSR and Roper, check with your campus SSRIC representative. If available on your campus, works just like library data bases such as J-Stor or Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe.  At CSULB, go to

Survey Documentation and Analysis (SDA) Program  Written at UC Berkeley  Used by ICPSR and others-- referred to as DAS (Data Analysis System)  Data files must be converted to SDA format before use. ICPSR has converted a number of data sets in their topical archives into SDA format and are converting more.

Example: The GSS Using SDA Go to SDA Homepage: and click on “SDA.”

Example: GSS Using SDA  Click on “SDA Archive”  Click on “GSS Cumulative Datafile – Full Analysis”  Click on “Open Extra Codebook Window”  Click on “Codebook by Year of Interview”  Browse to find variables

Go to SDA Archive

Choose Dataset

Open Codebook Window

Choose Codebook

Find Variables

Start Analysis  Click on “Frequencies or crosstabulation (with charts)  Click on “Start”

Set Up and Run Analysis  Enter selections, and “Run the Table”

Statistical Procedures  Frequencies  Crosstabs  Comparison of means  Correlation matrix  Comparison of correlations  Multiple regression

What Else Can You Do?  Recode (temporarily)  Use control variables  Use filter variables  Use weight variable  Subset and download data

SDA Instructional Resources  At UC Berkeley) Online Help Files for SDA Users Online Help Files for SDA Users Online Help Files for SDA Users Online Help Files for SDA Users Some Other Data Archives That Use SDA Some Other Data Archives That Use SDA Some Other Data Archives That Use SDA Some Other Data Archives That Use SDA  An Intro Stats Class Using SDA (Losh, Florida State) An Intro Stats Class Using SDA An Intro Stats Class Using SDA  How to Download SDA GSS Data and Import to SPSS (Stipak, Portland State) How to Download SDA GSS Data and Import to SPSS How to Download SDA GSS Data and Import to SPSS

Sources of Data for SDA at ICPSR (  SETUPS: Voting Behavior — the 2004 Election SETUPS: Voting Behavior — the 2004 Election SETUPS: Voting Behavior — the 2004 Election  Special Topic Archives Special Topic Archives Special Topic Archives sponsored by agencies external to ICPSR Focus on specific subject areas such as aging and crime Focus on specific subject areas such as aging and crime Provide information on data that ICPSR holds and other data sets external to ICPSR Provide information on data that ICPSR holds and other data sets external to ICPSR Includes data that can be analyzed online using SDA/DAS Includes data that can be analyzed online using SDA/DAS

National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (NACDA)   Funded by the National Institute on Aging

National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD)   Funded by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Institute of Justice

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data Archive (SAMHDA) *   Funded by the Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration

ICPSR  Primary social science data archive for the U.S.  Founded in 1962, CSU joined in 1972  Currently over 500 member institutions worldwide 500 member institutions500 member institutions  Services Vast data archive accessible via web engine (ICPSR Direct) Vast data archive accessible via web engine (ICPSR Direct) Summer program Summer program Instructional resources Instructional resources

ICPSR

Using ICPSR Direct  Locate the data you want to download Click on Data Access & Analysis Click on Data Access & Analysis Type in the key words, choose other options, and search

Using ICPSR Direct Too many studies?

Using ICPSR Direct  Advanced Search

Using ICPSR Direct  Advanced Search

Selecting the Study to Download  Select the study you want to download  For each study, you will see links to description, downloads, and related literature  Click on “download”

Downloading the Data  You will be asked for your address and your password  If you don’t have a password, click on “create account” and create one. You will be asked to complete a brief form the first time you use ICPSR Direct  If you forget your password, you can request that a new one be ed to you

Downloading the Data  Select the files to download under Step 2 by clicking on the box or boxes  Select Step 3. Add to Data Cart  Select Step 4. Review Data Cart

Downloading the Data If all is OK, click on “Download Data Cart” Save

Downloading the Data If using WinZip extract files to a directory

Downloading the Data Find and open file in SPSS.

Downloading the Data Find and open Syntax file in SPSS a little differently. (Note lengthy path)

Syntax Files  ASCII + SPSS syntax file = SPSS system file.  Need to modify “File Handle” and “Save Outfile” commands.

FILE HANDLE Command FILE HANDLE DATA / NAME ="data-filename" LRECL=225. FILE HANDLE DATA / NAME ="data-filename" LRECL=225. would become: FILE HANDLE DATA / NAME= "C:\Temp\ \ICPSR_04131\DS0001_A BC_News_Pennsylvania_Poll,_September_2004__\ Data.txt " LRECL=225. FILE HANDLE DATA / NAME= "C:\Temp\ \ICPSR_04131\DS0001_A BC_News_Pennsylvania_Poll,_September_2004__\ Data.txt " LRECL=225.

SAVE OUTFILE Command SAVE OUTFILE= "spss-filename.sav". would become: SAVE OUTFILE = "C:\Temp\ \ICPSR_04131\DS0001_ABC_News_ Pennsylvania_Poll,_September_2004__\ Data.sav".

SPSS Syntax  FILE HANDLE OURDATA / NAME = 'samplespss.data‘ LRECL = 30.  DATA LIST FILE=OURDATA /1 OVERALL 1-2 PRODUCTV 3-4 COOPRATV 5-6 INITIATV 7-8 ABSENTEE EMPLOYID APTITUDE  INIRATNG (A).  VAR LABELS OVERALL 'EMPLOYEES OVERALL RATING BY SUPERVISOR'  /PRODUCTV 'EMPLOYEES PRODUCTIVITY RATING'  /COOPRATV 'EMPLOYEES COOPERATIVITY RATING'  /INITIATV 'EMPLOYEES INITIATIVITY RATING'  /ABSENTEE '# DAYS ABSENT FROM WORK'  /APTITUDE 'SCORE ON APTITUDE TEST'  /INIRATNG 'INITIAL RATING BY PERSONNEL DEPT'.  VALUE LABELS OVERALL TO INITIATV 1 'POOR' 2 'FAIR' 3 'GOOD' 4 'VERY GOOD' 5 'EXCELLENT‘.  RECODE PRODUCTV INITIATV (1,2=1) (3=2) (4,5=3).  CROSSTABS TABLES=PRODUCTV BY INITIATV  /STAT=CHISQ.  FINISH.

FOR MORE INFORMATION  

Other ICPSR Resources  SSRIC ICPSR Guide SSRIC ICPSR Guide SSRIC ICPSR Guide  ICPSR Data Use Tutorial ICPSR Data Use Tutorial ICPSR Data Use Tutorial  Social Science Variables Database Social Science Variables Database Social Science Variables Database  Bibliography of Data-Related Literature Bibliography of Data-Related Literature Bibliography of Data-Related Literature  Ilona Einowski's article on ICPSR Direct Ilona Einowski's article on ICPSR Direct Ilona Einowski's article on ICPSR Direct

YOUR TURN  Download SPSS portable file for ICPSR Study #4242 (2003 Japanese Social Survey)  Open in SPSS

YOUR TURN  Search for datasets on a topic of your choosing  Download after lunch

The Field Poll

The Field (California) Poll  Established in 1947  Independent, non-partisan survey of California public opinion  Wide range of political and social topics  Multiple polls each year Mervin Field

Accessing Field Data Accessing data involves:  Setting up your browser  Finding polls and data sets  Downloading data sets

Setting up your browser  Requires setting passive FTP access  Optionally set up for folder view or FTP directory view  See the handout for details:   You will only need to do this once for your browser and user account

Setting Up Your Browser  Go to Tools>Internet Options and select the Advanced tab.  Scroll down to the “Use Passive FTP (for firewall and DSL modem compatibility)” option and make sure that it is checked.

Setting Up Your Browser  (Optional) Scroll back up to and check the “Enable folder view for FTP sites.  See the handout for details:  You will only need to do this once for your browser and user account

Accessing UCData for Download  Go to the UCData web site (  Click the Data link on the left side  Click the CSU Only/Field Polls link in the FTP navigation column (left side)

Search CalPoll Index

Retrieve data

FTP Directory View

Other Field Resources  SSRIC Field Poll Guide SSRIC Field Poll Guide SSRIC Field Poll Guide  Field News Releases and California Opinion Indexes Field News Releases and California Opinion Indexes Field News Releases and California Opinion Indexes

The Roper Center

Roper Center Home Page  Some links might be useful for class discussions on polling and sampling

Searching for Data Sets  Point to Quick Links and then to Search for Data Sets

Searching for Data Sets  Specify Keywords Date range Country Survey organization  Search for “gun control” gun control

Catalog Results (for “gun control”)

Reviewing the Data Sets  To get more information Click on the codebook in the Documentation table and look at it  If you want this data set, and it is not available for direct download, write down the survey number and the title, and Ed Nelson at

iPOLL  Data base of over 500,000 questions  Includes frequency distributions allowing students to do trend analysis online  You will not need a user name or password from on-campus, since the CSU will be IP authenticated

Searching iPOLL  Search for keyword  Click on Boolean or Wildcard for help  Let’s search for relig%  Select the topic of religion  Use date from 1/1/2000 to today’s date

Reviewing iPOLL Results  Click on the questions you want to view  Click on view selections for the question wording and frequencies

Other Roper Resource  SSRIC Roper Guide SSRIC Roper Guide SSRIC Roper Guide

Using the Data for Teaching

Teaching Resources Depository

Online SPSS Tutorial Version 13 

POWERMUTT POWERMUTT Politically-Oriented, Web-Enhanced Research Methods for Undergraduates: Topics and Tools POWERMUTT

SIMI Site for Instructional Materials and Information