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SOC 503 Techniques & Methods of Social Science
Data Resources at Princeton University
Coverage: Time lag from date survey is conducted
until data files released often 2+ years Sub-national data: U.S. only, other large
nations (China, India, Canada) where data are collected. U.S. has many state level surveys, some dealing with large cities (N.Y. and L.A.), some case studies (primarily crime) for other cities, areas.
Tips:
Documentation for data is typically in the official language of the country.
Data does not always come with setup files. You may need to write a setup file to read in the data.
Numeric Data Holdings
Micro-data: Survey or administrative data about an entity. (e.g. person, family, establishment)
Summary statistics: Aggregated counts of survey or administrative data: Number of persons in an area.
A Few Definitions (adapted from ICPSR)
longitudinal or panel study same group of individuals is interviewed at
intervals over a period of time. Note that some cross-sectional studies are done regularly. For instance, the General Social Survey and the Current Population Survey: Annual Demographic File are conducted once a year, but different individuals are surveyed each time. Such a study is not a true longitudinal study. An example of a longitudinal study is the National Longitudinal Survey of Labor Market Experience, in which the same individuals have been followed over time.
A Few Definitions (from ICPSR)
cross-sectional study data from particular subjects are obtained
only once. Contrast with longitudinal studies, in which a panel of individuals is interviewed repeatedly over a period of time. Note that questions in a cross-sectional study can apply to previous time periods.
A Few Definitions (from ICPSR)
hierarchical file contains information collected on multiple units of
analysis in different record types. For example, the physical housing structure may be 1 unit, and individual persons within the structure are another. An example is the Current Population Survey: Annual Demographic File which has household, family, and person units of analysis. Studies that include data for different units of analysis often link those units to each other so that, for instance, one can analyze the persons as they group in a structure. Such studies are sometimes referred to as having a relational structure.
Coverage:
International macro-economic, social, political, & financial indicators.
National surveys, statistics for U.S., many European nations, public opinion surveys from many nations, internationally sponsored surveys dealing with health, fertility, and nutrition.
Major Data Archive Subscriptions
Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research
Roper Center for Public Opinion Research
Social Science Electronic Data Archive
Statistics Canada Microdata
More data!
Economic, business and financial data services. http://firestone.princeton.edu/econlib
DSS Subject and Regional Guides.
Even more data!
Federal, state, & independent government agencies. NGOs, IGOS. http://libguides.princeton.edu/internation
alecon/subnational http://libguides.princeton.edu/internation
alecon/history
Other data archives from around the world
Even more data!
Academic institutions, scholars, think tanks, & private organizations.
Consult the Main Catalog or Books+. Google
Literature about data sets:
A useful way to find useful data sets is to look at the literature of the field. ICPSR’s
Bibliography of Data Related Literature
Sociological Abstracts Annual Review of Sociology Articles+ / Google Scholar
Data Analysis Options
Refer to published statistics Use on-line analysis tools Download data and use a statistical
program
On-line Analysis Tools
Current Population Survey (Unicon version)
General Social Survey (in SDA format)
ICPSR SDA files
When you download data…
Documentation Survey – sampling methods weights
Variables Format Size
Downloading data
Software Help
http://dss1.princeton.edu/training/ Data Lab (Firestone) GIS (Lewis Library) And you can help!
Contacts Mary George([email protected])
Senior Reference Librarian (data) Bobray Bordelon ([email protected])
Economics Librarian/Data Services Librarian (data)
Susan White ([email protected])Sociology Librarian (literature)
Oscar Torres-Reyna & Ofira Schwartz-SoicherData & Statistics Consultants
[email protected] Wangyal Shawa ([email protected])
GIS Librarian
Data and Statistical Services
DSS Computer Lab A-12-GFirestone [email protected]://dss.princeton.edu
