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Finding Data: Data on Frequently used data

ACCESS TO THESE DATA FILES ARE RESTRICTED TO CURRENTLY ENROLLED/EMPLOYED MEMBERS OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY.

• Census Microdata Holdings
  Table listing microdata from international censuses either available at Princeton University or publicly accesible. Note that many are restricted and require permission from the national government to use.

• Consumer Expenditure Survey (CES) Series (1960-1961, 1972-1973, 1980+)
  Formerly called the Survey of Consumer Expenditures. Provides a continuous flow of information on the buying habits of American consumers and also furnishes data to support periodic revisions of the Consumer Price Index. The unit of analysis is the consumer unit, consisting of all members of a particular housing unit who are related by blood, marriage, adoption, or some other legal arrangement. Consumer unit determination for unrelated persons is based on financial independence. 2007 is available on the DSS Server.

• Current Population Survey (CPS) (1962+)
  Monthly survey of about 50,000 households conducted by the Bureau of the Census for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A detailed demographic supplement is conducted annually in March, and supplements on other topics, including computer use and school enrollment, are also conducted regularly. Listings documenting the occurrence of current population survey supplements are available. Questionnaires and codebooks are available at the Census Bureau site. For comparisons of CPS, Survey of Income and Program Participation, and the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, see the comparison chart. For comparisons of National Longitudinal Surveys, Survey of Income and Program Participation, and Panel Study of Income Dynamics, see the comparison chart.

• General Social Survey (1972-2008) (GSS)
  Produced biennially since 1994, the GSS is a long running survey of social, cultural and political indicators. In addition to the GSS, topic modules, designed to investigate new issues or to expand the coverage of an existing subject, are administered. Examples of topic modules include computer and Internet, racial and ethnic prejudice, and child mental-health stigma. The GSS has participated since 1985 in the International Social Survey Program. A listing of modules performed through 2008 is available. For quick crosstabs and correlations use the SDA version which is available for free through University of California at Berkeley. For more information, see the NORC website.

  Sample Size: Over the life of the survey, more than 43,000 respondents, with about 3,000 added biennially.

• Monitoring the Future. 1976+
  Ongoing study of the behaviors, attitudes, and values of American secondary school students, college students, and young adults. Each year, a total of some 50,000 8th, 10th and 12th grade students are surveyed. A number of questions on drug use are asked.

  Sample Size: 8th grade - approx. 18,000; 10th grade - approx. 17,000; 12th grade - approx. 16,000.

• National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS) 1988
  Sample of eighth-graders surveyed in 1988 on a range of topics. Survey topics beyond schoolwork include smoking, drug use, and extracurricular activities. A sample were resurveyed through four follow-ups in 1990, 1992, 1994, and 2000. The study has four types of data files - student, teacher, parent, and school - although note each type is available for each survey year. The data are also available on CD; ask at the Social Science Reference Desk for ED1.334/2:ED 8/988-2000/CD.

  Sample Size: In 1988, the cohort size was almost 25,000 students from over 1,000 public and private schools.

• National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, Waves I, II, and III, 1994-1996, 2000-2002 (Add Health)
  Collected data for the purpose of providing information on the general health and well-being of adolescents in the United States, including, with respect to such adolescents, information on: (1) the behaviors that promote health and the behaviors that are detrimental to health; and (2) the influence on health of factors particular to the communities in which adolescents reside. Documentation can also be found on the AddHealth site.
  
  Sociometrics has some additional restircted data. To access start in Sociometrics.
  Click on Data Archives.
  Click on Data Archive on Adolescent Pregnancy and Pregnancy Prevention.
  Go to The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, Waves I, II, and III (Add Health).
  Click on Download Instructions.
  Submit the request form.
  You will then have to wait to get permission to use.

• National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 and 1997
  Designed to document the transition from school to work and into adulthood. Collects extensive information about youths' labor market behavior and educational experiences over time. Also included is a survey of the biological children of women in the NLSY79. Documentation is available at the NLS site. For comparisons of National Longitudinal Surveys, Survey of Income and Program Participation, and Panel Study of Income Dynamics, see the comparison chart.

  Sample Size: The 1979 survey began with over 12,000 participants, while the 1997 survey began with approx. 9,000.

  Citation:
  National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 and 1997 (Electronic File)
  Principal investigator: Ohio State University. Center for Human Resource Research.
  Producer: Ohio State University, Center for Human Resource Research and U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  Distributor: Ohio State University. Center for Human Resource Research.
  

• Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) Series. 1968+
  Designed to fill the need for a better understanding of the determinants of family income and its changes. Longitudinal survey of US individuals and the families in which they reside. Can be used for cross-sectional, longitudinal, and intergenerational analysis and for studying both individuals and families. For comparisons of Current Population Survey, Survey of Income and Program Participation, and PSID, see the comparison chart. For comparisons of National Longitudinal Surveys, Survey of Income and Program Participation, and PSID, see the comparison chart.

  Documentation: (DSS) HC110.I5 P364

• Survey of Consumer Finances. 1947-1971, 1977, 1983+
  Since 1983, conducted every 3 years. Collects information on the assets, liabilities and other financial characteristics of households. Only U.S. survey that contains an oversample of wealthy households. For data prior to 1983, see ICPSR.

  Documentation: (Codebooks) (DSS) HC110.S3 S88

  Sample Size: About 4,500 families are interviewed in the main study.

• Survey of Income and Program Participation. (SIPP) 1984+
  Longitudinal U. S. government survey of the financial status of American households conducted since 1983 (data starts with 1984). Covers government transfer and service programs, pension coverage, housing affordability, home ownership data, housing cost data (primarily mortgages), financial assistance for education, among other topics. Data may also be accessed via ICPSR, or extracted from CD using SIPP Utilities, a beta-version extraction tool. The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) makes the SIPP data and documentation available along with Stata, SPSS, and SAS programs for reading the data. Users may find the NBER site the most convenient source, but the most recent data may not be available there. A new sample (panel) is introduced at the beginning of each calendar year, and the duration of each panel ranges from 2 1/2 years to 4 years. For comparisons of the Current Population Survey, SIPP, and the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, see the comparison chart. For comparisons of National Longitudinal Surveys, SIPP, and Panel Study of Income Dynamics, see the comparison chart.

  Documentation: (Codebooks) (DSS) HC110.I5 S87

  Sample Size: Ranges from approx. 14,000 to 37,000 households. Interviews are conducted with those 15 and over.

• U. S. Census - IPUMS. 1850+
  Public use samples of individual-level data from the U. S. census.

• World Values Survey and European Values Survey. 1981-1984, 1990-1993, 1995-1997, 1999-2005.
  Designed to enable a crossnational comparison of values and norms on a wide variety of topics and to monitor changes in values and attitudes across the globe. A variety of questions on religion and morality were included. Data is currently available for 1981-1984, 1990-1993, 1995-1997, and 1999-2005.