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GSS 1972-2006 Cumulative Data File on CD-ROM
The 1972-2006 GSS cumulative data file for the National Opinion Research Center's General Social Surveys (GSS) is now available from the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research on CD-ROM.
GSS Description
The General Social Survey CD-ROM brings the rich coverage of one of the nation's longest running surveys of social, cultural and political indicators available today right to your desktop. Encompassing 34 years of national survey data in one comprehensive data file, the GSS CD-ROM is the right choice for individual researchers, departmental labs and social science data centers. An SPSS portable system file makes it even more convenient for students and faculty to gain full access to this rich data resource. Students will find the CD-ROM a rich resource for term papers, theses, and dissertations. Teachers can use it in courses that teach social science as an empirical science.
The newly released data file contains individual response coding for 51,020 respondents and 5,084 variables.
The 2006 GSS follows the biennial, double sample design that was first adopted in 1994. There are eleven topical, mini-modules and two International Social Survey Program (ISSP) modules.
The GSS will be switching from a repeating, cross-section design to a combined repeating cross-section and
panel-component design. The 2006 GSS will be the base year for the first panel. A sub-sample of 2006 GSS cases
(most likely about 2000) will be selected for reinterview in 2008 and again in 2010 as part of the GSSs in those
years.
The most recent study was conducted under the direction of James A. Davis and Tom W. Smith, NORC/University of Chicago and Peter V. Marsden, Harvard University, during the Spring of 2006. The new survey has been added to the cumulative file, which now contains data spanning thirty four years.
Note: Representatives of member institutions will automatically receive the GSS 2006 CD-ROM which includes the data file and an electronic codebook.
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Contents of the GSS CD-ROM
Folder Structure |
Description |
Data |
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/1972-2006/gss1972-2006.zip |
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gss1972-2006.dat |
Cumulative data file (51,020 records, 6,993 record length) |
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/gss1972-2006.por |
SPSS portable file (cumulative file) |
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/2006/ |
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gss2006.dat |
Data file for the 2006 year survey only (4,510 records, 1,568 record length) |
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gss2006.por |
SPSS portable file--2006 year survey only |
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gss2006.txt |
Column guide for gss2006.dat
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Codebook |
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/codebook.pdf |
Codebook in searchable PDF format |
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/codebook_errata.pdf |
Updated information about the codebook
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SPSS |
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/gss1972-2006.sps |
SPSS data definition file
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readme.txt |
Description of the CD-Rom with helpful hints |
2006weights.doc |
Description of the 2006 weighting scheme |
Updates_and_Errata.doc |
Provides links to updates and information |
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GSS 1972-2006 Technical Specifications
GSS Methodology
The General Social Surveys have been conducted during the first six months of each year. There are a total of 51,020 completed interviews:
Year |
n |
Year |
n |
Year |
n |
1972 |
1,613 |
1983 |
1,599 |
1993 |
1,606 |
1973 |
1,504 |
1984 |
1,473 |
1994 |
2,992 |
1974 |
1,484 |
1985 |
1,534 |
1996 |
2,904 |
1975 |
1,490 |
1986 |
1,470 |
1998 |
2,832 |
1976 |
1,499 |
1987 |
1,466 |
2000 |
2,807 |
1977 |
1,530 |
*1987 |
353 |
2002 |
2,765 |
1978 |
1,532 |
1988 |
1,481 |
2004 |
2,812 |
1980 |
1,468 |
1989 |
1,537 |
2006 |
4,510 |
1982 |
1,506 |
1990 |
1,372 |
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*1982 |
254 |
1991 |
1,517 |
*Black oversample |
The median length of the interview has been about one and a half hours.
GSS Sample Design
Each survey is an independently drawn sample of English-speaking persons 18 years of age or over, living in non-institutional arrangements within the United States. Block quota sampling was used in 1972, 1973, and 1974 surveys and for half of the 1975 and 1976 surveys. Full probability sampling was employed in half of the 1975 and 1976 surveys and the 1977, 1978, 1980, 1982-1991, 1993-2006 surveys (see Appendix A of the GSS Codebook for a detailed description of the sample design).
GSS Data Processing
This cumulative dataset merges all 26 surveys into a single file with each year or survey acting as a subfile. This greatly simplifies the use of the General Social Surveys for both trend analysis and pooling. In addition, this cumulative dataset contains newly created variables. Top
GSS 1972-2006 Special Topical Modules
- The quality of working life, replicating a module in 2002
- Attitudes towards firearms
- Shared capitalism, expanding on a module in 2002
- Level of disability
- Use of foreign languages
- Mental health attitudes and experiences, drawing on modules in the 1996-2000
- Number of people known
- Participation in congregations
- Knowledge about and attitudes towards science
- Religious trends, repeating a number of items from earlier GSSs
- Sexual behavior (continuing the series started in 1988).
The ISSP modules are on the role of government and work orientation. The role of
government module builds on the ISSP studies on the same topic in 1985, 1990, and 1996
and it is the first ISSP topic to be fielded four times. As is usual, about two-thirds of the
items are replications and one-third new content. Topics include social-welfare and
economic regulation, civil liberties, spending priorities, and political efficacy. The work
orientation module is the second replication with earlier rounds in 1989 and 1997.
Besides the questions asked of all respondents there are special sections for the employed
asking about their specific job and workplace and for the unemployed.
In addition, there is another cross-national collaboration on the 2006 GSS. The
International Mental Health Stigma Study was conducted in the US and 15 other
countries.
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GSS 1972-2006 Cumulative Codebook
on CD-ROM
by James A. Davis, Tom W. Smith and Peter V. Marsden
GSS Codebook Description
Comprehensive information on all aspects of the General Social Surveys 1972-2006 project. Codebook contains exact question text, response codes and frequency counts for 5,084 variables used by the National Opinion Research Center during the past 34 years. While the codebook is intended to be used in conjunction with the General Social Survey 1972-2006 cumulative data file, the codebook alone holds a wealth of opinion data on a wide variety of social issues.
Table of Contents
Introduction
New Developments
Abbreviations and Data Identification Numbers
Index to Data Set
Codes for the 1972-2006 Surveys -- Includes variable names, exact question text, response categories and codes, and unweighted marginal frequencies for questions in selected years.
General Social Survey Topical Modules
International Social Survey Program (ISSP) Modules
Other GSS Variables (including socio-demographic variables)
Appendices
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Order the 1972-2006 GSS
The GSS 1972-2006 on CD-ROM (includes data & electronic codebook in PDF) is available for $375.00 each.
The GSS 1972-2006 Cumulative Codebook(s) on CD-ROM (PDF format) is available for $75.00 each. Please note the 1972-2006 cumulative codebook is only available on CD-ROM.
Please contact the Roper Center at
(860)486-5107 or by email at gssdata@ropercenter.uconn.edu to place your order.
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If you have specific questions about the GSS CD-ROM or the cumulative codebook please contact us at gssdata@ropercenter.uconn.edu.
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