Library Guides: SOC 400W : Senior Research Seminar: Social Science Data

Data

ICPSR (Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research) This link opens in a new window
the world's largest archive of computerized social science data. Data can be downloaded to the user's desktop.
The Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) is a membership-based, non-profit data archive located at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. It serves member colleges and universities in the United States and abroad by providing: Access to the world's largest archive of computerized social science data, Training facilities for the study of quantitative social analysis techniques, Resources for social scientists using advanced computer technologies. PSU users get access to ICPSR by creating an individual account using their PSU e-mail ID. This is what identifies them as a PSU affiliate. We do not have IP access. Go to: http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/ICPSR/index.jsp - See login at top left. Note: occasionally you will need to login using a computer on campus to validate that you are still a PSU affiliate.
Roper iPoll This link opens in a new window
provides statistics (frequencies rates) from questions in public opinion polls from academic, commercial, and media survey organizations since 1935. Data sets are also available from many of the questions, but not all of them.
The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research is one of the world's leading archives of social science data, specializing in data from surveys of public opinion back to the 1930s. A comprehensive source for US nationwide public opinion data from academic, commercial, and media survey organizations.
Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA) This link opens in a new window
The Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA) strives to democratize access to the best data on religion. The targeted audience and the data collection have both greatly expanded since 1998, now including American and international collections and developing features for educators, journalists, religious congregations, and researchers.
The Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA) strives to democratize access to the best data on religion. The targeted audience and the data collection have both greatly expanded since 1998, now including American and international collections and developing features for educators, journalists, religious congregations, and researchers.

General Social Survey
Since 1972, the General Social Survey (GSS) has provided politicians, policymakers, and scholars with a clear and unbiased perspective on what Americans think and feel about such issues as national spending priorities, crime and punishment, intergroup relations, and confidence in institutions.

TIP: if you are looking for scholarly articles that use a particular survey it can be useful to search in Google Scholar for the variables you are exploring and the name of the survey. For example, exploring the variable "Doctors care more about their earnings than about their patients" in the General Social Survey.

"doctor care" AND earnings AND "general social survey"

TIP: also, for the General Social Survey you can explore the extensive GSS Bibliography of research conducted using the survey.