This document provides an overview of the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR). ICPSR is one of the world's largest social science data archives, established in 1962. It seeks and preserves research data and documents, makes data available online, and provides education and training resources. ICPSR hosts a large collection of datasets across many disciplines that researchers can use free of charge. It also offers tools to find, access, and analyze datasets. ICPSR supports education by bringing data into the classroom and offering student research opportunities.

1. An Introduction to ICPSR
Data Services
Lynda Kellam,
Data Services and Government
Information Librarian
lmkellam@uncg.edu
http://uncg.libguides.com/data

2. Introduction
• ICPSR’s Story
– What is an “ICPSR”
– Why do people use ICPSR
• ICPSR Website
– The Study Home Page
– Data Tools
• ICPSR in Education
• Other Data Services

3. What We Do – It’s About Data!
•
One of the world’s oldest
and largest social science
data archives, est. 1962
•
Seek research data and
pertinent documents from
researchers
• Process and preserve the
data and documents
•
•
Disseminate data
Provide
education, training, &
instructional resources

4. Why People Use ICPSR
• Write articles, papers, or theses using research
data
• Conduct secondary research to support findings
of current research or to generate new findings
• Use as intro material in grant proposals
• Preserve/disseminate primary research data
– Fulfill data management plan (grant)
requirements
• Study or teach quantitative methods

5. Supporting a growing number of
disciplines
• Anthropology
• Business/Economics
• Communications
• Criminal Justice
• Demography
• Education
• Foreign Policy
• Gerontology
• Health & Medical Policy
• History
• International Relations
• Law/Legal Services
• Political Sciences
• Psychology
• Public Policy
• Sociology

6. Niche Archives
• ARDA – Association of Religion Data Archives:
http://www.thearda.com/
• The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research:
http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/

7. Back to ICPSR - Most Popular Downloads this Past Year:
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National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health
General Social Surveys (1972-2010 Cumulative)
National Survey on Drug Use and Health
World Handbook of Political & Social Indicators III
National Survey of Midlife Development in the US
Chinese Household Income Project
American National Election Study: 2008 Pre- and Post-Election
Survey
• Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study
• Globalization Comparative Panel Dataset
• India Human Development Survey

8. What’s in a “Download?”
• Documentation files - pdfs
• Data in many forms!
– Questionnaire
– Codebook
– Description & Citation
– SPSS, SAS, Stata
– ASCII

9. “Shopping” for Data: The MyData Account
• MyData account – operates as authentication and like a
shopping cart!
• Authenticate once every six months on campus and you
can carry it with you

10. Supporting the Data
• Free user support
• The HELP Page offers:
– User support (at ICPSR) email and phone contact
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–
–
–
information
Data User Help Center: Short Tutorials & Webinars
available 24/7
Local Support: Who to contact at your local institution
Glossary of Terms
Social Networks: Where you can find us on
YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Slideshare, and more

11. The “Front Office”

12. Our Front Office: ICPSR Web site
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/

13. Data Tools to Find & Analyze Data

14. The Study Home Page

15. The Bibliography of Data-related Literature
It’s really a searchable database . . .
containing over 62,500 citations of known published
and unpublished works resulting from analyses of
data archived at ICPSR
. . .that can generate study bibliographies
associating each study with the literature about it
. . . Included in the integrated search
on the ICPSR Web site

16. The Social Science Variables Database at ICPSR
Enables ICPSR users to:
• Search & Compare Variables across
datasets
• Assists in:
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Data discovery
Comparison/harmonization projects
Data harvesting & data analysis
Question mining for designing new research
Research methods & substantive courses
instruction

17. Analyze & Compare Variables

18. Interested in Online Datasets?
“View SDA Studies”

19. SDA Output

20. ICPSR in Education

21. ICPSR Summer Program in Quantitative
Methods
• Instruction on the tools and practices needed to analyze data
• For those with math phobia and those with advanced analysis
skills
• 3-5 day workshops and 4-8 week courses
• Primarily held at Univ of Mich.
• Some courses on other campuses
•
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/sumprog/

22. Bringing Data Into the Classroom

23. Online Modules

24. Research Opportunities for Students
– Research paper
competitions -- a
research journal
experience & cash
prizes!
– Paid student internships
focusing on
investigating social
sciences research

25. Data Services

26. ICPSR Data Hosting Services
To Al a Carte Data
Management
From Full-Service Archives
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Data (website) hosting
Preservation
Data Sharing & Impact
Data Outreach &
Engagement
• Data security & tracking

27. The Statement Heard Round the
Research World:
• The National Science Foundation has released a new
requirement for proposal submissions regarding the
management of data generated using NSF support. Starting in
January, 2011, all proposals must include a data management
plan (DMP).
• The plan should be short, no more than two pages, and will be
submitted as a supplementary document. The plan will need to
address two main topics:
– What data are generated by your research?
– What is your plan for managing the data?

28. ICPSR’s DMP Web Site

29. For More Info:
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Explore the website - www.icpsr.umich.edu
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Sign up for our email announcements www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/membership/lists/index.jsp
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“Like” ICPSR on Facebook/follow ICPSR on Twitter
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Attend or view our webinars (open to the public!)
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Contact user support – netmail@icpsr.umich.edu
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Contact your OR – lmkellam@uncg.edu