The General Social Survey (GSS) conducts basic scientific research on the structure and development of American society with a data-collection program designed to both monitor societal change within the United States and to compare the United States to other nations. Begun in 1972, the GSS contains a standard 'core' of demographic, behavioral, and attitudinal questions, plus topics of special interest. Many of the core questions have remained unchanged since 1972 to facilitate time-trend studies as well as replication of earlier findings.

The General Social Surveys (GSS) have been conducted by the "https://www.norc.org/Pages/default.aspx" Target="_blank">National Opinion Research Center annually since 1972 except for the years 1979, 1981, and 1992 (a supplement was added in 1992), and biennially beginning in 1994. The GSS are designed as part of a program of social indicator research, replicating questionnaire items and wording in order to facilitate time-trend studies. The 2004 data contain twelve topical modules, including modules on daily spiritual experiences and religious transformations.

To download syntax files for the GSS that reproduce well-known religious group recodes, including RELTRAD, please visit the "/research/syntax-repository-list" Target="_blank">ARDA's Syntax Repository.

The National Data Program for the Social Sciences (General Social Survey) is both a data diffusion project and a program of social indicator research. Its data collection instrument, the General Social Survey (GSS), was fielded for the 29th time in 2012. Previously an annual survey, the GSS became biennial in 1994. The questionnaire contains a standard core of demographic and attitudinal variables, plus certain topics of special interest selected for rotation (called "topical modules"). Items that appeared on national surveys between 1973 and 1975 are replicated. The exact wording of these questions is retained to facilitate time trend studies as well as replications of earlier findings.

Please Note: This dataset is part of the historical CISER Data Archive Collection and is also available at the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research at https://doi.org/10.25940/ROPER-31095122. We highly recommend using the Roper Center version as they may make this dataset available in multiple data formats in the future.

ALLBUS (GGSS - the German General Social Survey) is a biennial trend survey based on random samples of the German population. Established in 1980, its mission is to monitor attitudes, behavior, and social change in Germany. Each ALLBUS cross-sectional survey consists of one or two main question modules covering changing topics, a range of supplementary questions and a core module providing detailed demographic information. Additionally, data on the interview and the interviewers are provided as well. Key topics generally follow a 10-year replication cycle, many individual indicators and item batteries are replicated at shorter intervals.

Since the mid-1980ies ALLBUS also regularly hosts one or two modules of the ISSP (International Social Survey Programme).

The main question module of ALLBUS/GGSS 2004 covers the topic of "Social Inequality.” In addition to questions on objective indicators of unequal living conditions, the module contains questions on subjective perceptions and evaluations of inequality, on health and on access to information technology (‘Digital Divide’). Other topics are, for example, political attitudes, free time activities and media use, and perception of gender roles. Additionally, the ISSP modules "Citizenship" and "National Identity II" are included.
ALLBUS/GGSS 2004 is an English translation of the original German survey ALLBUS 2004. For a comprehensive study description please compare Study No. 3762 .

The public use microdata file (PUMF) from the General Social Survey – Canadians' Safety is to better understand how Canadians perceive crime and the justice system and to capture information on their experiences of victimization. This survey is the only national survey of self-reported victimization and is collected in all provinces and territories. The survey allows for estimates of the numbers and characteristics of victims and criminal incidents. Topics covered are: neighbourhood safety, crime prevention, risks and perceptions, abuse by current spouse/partner, crime incidents, criminal harassment, confidence in police, hate crimes, cyber bullying, experiences of discrimination, health and well-being and also a variety of socio-demographic measures. Cycle 34 is the seventh cycle of the GSS to collect data on victimization. Previous cycles were conducted in 1988, 1993, 1999, 2004, and 2009, 2014.

Cycle 18 of the GSS is the fourth cycle (after cycles 3, 8 and 13) to collect information on the nature and extent of criminal victimization in Canada. Content from cycle 13 on senior abuse and public perception of alternatives to imprisonment was not repeated. New topics of interest were added including stalking, use of restraining orders and social disorder. The main sample of GSS-18 was distributed over the ten provinces, and a supplementary survey was conducted in the three territories. This supplementary survey used the same questionnaire, collection methodology, and interviewers as the main survey, but used a different methodology for sample selection. The data from this supplementary survey are not included in this microdata file, but are available in the RDCs.

The Korean General Social Survey (KGSS) is the Korean version of the General Social Survey (GSS), closely replicating the original GSS of the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. Each round of KGSS typically includes the topical module of the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP), and/or the East Asian Social Survey (EASS), an international survey network of four GSS-type surveys in East Asia, (including China, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea). Respondents were asked for their opinions on Korean society, politics and reunification, economic issues, social equity and inequality, and suicide. Additional questions were asked about the everyday life, household, family, education, occupation, and mental health of the respondents. Demographic information includes age, sex, education level, household income, employment status, religious preference, political party affiliation, and political philosophy.

"The Taiwan Social Change Survey (TSCS) tracks the long-term trend of social changes through national representative survey data. Since the first nation-wide survey completed in 1985, this cross-sectional survey project has followed 5-year cycles that rotate selective modules. These modules cover various topics including family, religion, stratification, mass communication, and political participation. As of 2006, the TSCS had accumulated 37 surveys. Many of these surveys carry repetitive modules that have run through up to four cycles of survey operations, which enable researchers to understand social change from longitudinal perspectives. With more than 80,000 face-to-face interviews completed over the past 22 years, the TSCS has become the largest survey series among all of the general social surveys in the world...

"The TSCS team also initiates and participates in international comparative surveys. Since 2001, the TSCS has been an active member in both the "https://issp.org/" Target="_blank">International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) and the East Asian Social Survey (EASS). In the wave of the globalization of social surveys, not only will the TSCS continue to cover its major national research agenda, but it also will aim to present and demonstrate the characteristics of Taiwanese social changes by incorporating both ISSP and EASS modules into the surveys. Such a combination of local, regional, and global research interests should preserve the tradition of the TSCS while it expands into the international community." (Source: Methodology notes provided by "https://www.sinica.edu.tw/en" Target="_blank">Academia Sinica.) This survey is the fourth phase and fifth wave of Questionnaire 2.

The two primary objectives of the General Social Survey (GSS) are: to gather data on social trends in order to monitor changes in the living conditions and well being of Canadians over time; and to provide information on specific social policy issues of current or emerging interest. This survey collects information on the nature and extent of criminal victimization in Canada. The main objective of the GSS on Canadians' Safety (Victimization) is to better understand how Canadians perceive crime and the justice system. It also allows collection of information on their experiences of victimization. The 2014 GSS was a survey of individuals and contains two analytical files (main analytical file and incident analytical file). The microdata files from the main survey in the provinces contain questionnaire responses and associated information from 33,127 respondents. Analytical files for the survey in the territories contain responses and information from 2,040 respondents. Cycle 28 is the sixth cycle of the GSS to collect data on victimization. Previous cycles were conducted in 1988, 1993, 1999, 2004, and 2009.

The General Social Surveys have been conducted during February, March, and April of 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2008. There are a total of 53,043 completed interviews (1,613 in 1972, 1,504 in 1973, 1,484 in 1974, 1,490 in 1975, 1,499 in 1976, 1,530 in 1977, 1,532 in 1978, 1,468 in 1980, 1,506 in 1982, 354 in 1982 black oversample, 1,599 in 1983, 1,473 in 1984, 1, 534 in 1985, 1,470 in 1986, 1466 in 1987, 353 in 1987 black oversample, 1481 in 1988, 1,537 in 1989, 1372 in 1990, 1,517 in 1991, 1,606 in 1993, 2,904 in 1996, 2,832 in 1998, 2,817 in 2000, 2,765 in 2002, 2,812 in 2004, 4510 in 2006, and 2023 in 2008). The median length of the interview has been about one and a half hours. Each survey from 1972 to 2004 was an independently drawn sample of English-speaking persons 18 years of age or over, living in non-institutional arrangements within the United States. Starting in 2006 Spanish-speakers were added to the target population. 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, 1993-1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2008 surveys. Also, the 2004, 2006, and 2008 surveys had sub-sampled non-respondents This cumulative data set merges all 27 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 data set contains newly created variables (e.g. a poverty line code). Finally, the cumulative file contains certain items never before available. In 2008 the GSS is in transition from a replicating cro ss-sectional design to a design that uses rotating panels. There were two components: a new 2008 cross-section with 2,023 cases and the first reinterviews with 1,536 respondents from the 2006 GSS. In 2010 the new design will be fully implemented. There will be a new cross-section of about 2,000 cases, the first reinterviews of the 2008 GSS respondents, and the second and final reinterviews of the 2006 GSS respondents. In 2012 and later years this design will be repeated. Each GSS will thus 1) start a new 4-year/3-wave panel, 2) be in the middle of a 4-year/3-wave panel, and 3) finish a still earlier 4-year/3-wave panel.

ALLBUScompact is offered as an alternative to the structurally more complex full version of ALLBUS. It addresses the needs of newcomers to data analysis by providing a simplified demography module containing an easily manageable group of the most impor

ALLBUScompact is offered as an alternative to the structurally more complex full version of ALLBUS. It addresses the needs of newcomers to data analysis by providing a simplified demography module containing an easily manageable group of the most important demographic indicators. All topical question modules not containing sensitive data are retained as in the ALLBUS full version (scientific use file). For a comprehensive description of study topics please compare Study No. 3762 (ALLBUS 2004) .

All persons (German and non-German) who resided in private households and were born before 1 January 1986.

The General Social Survey (GSS) program gathers data on social subjects in order to monitor changes in the living conditions and well being of Canadians over time and to provide immediate information on specific social policy issues of current or emerging interest.Cycle 18 of the GSS is the fourth cycle dedicated to the topic of victimization; previous cycles were carried out in 1988, 1993, and 1999. Content from Cycle 13 on senior abuse and public perception of alternatives to imprisonment was not repeated. New topics of interest were added including stalking, use of restraining orders and social disorder. Other subjects common to all four cycles include perceptions of crime, police and courts; crime prevention precautions; and accident and crime incident reports.

ALLBUScompact is offered as an alternative to the structurally morecomplex full version of ALLBUS. It addresses the needs of newcomers todata analysis by providing a simplified demography module containing aneasily manageable group of the most important demographic indicators.All topical question modules not containing sensitive data are retainedas in the ALLBUS full version (scientific use file). For acomprehensive description of study topics please compare Study No. 3762 (ALLBUS 2004).

The General Household Survey (GHS) is a continuous national survey of people living in private households conducted on an annual basis, by the Social Survey Division of the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The main aim of the survey is to collect data on a range of core topics, covering household, family and individual information. This information is used by government departments and other organisations for planning, policy and monitoring purposes, and to present a picture of house holds, family and people in Great Britain. From 2008, the General Household Survey became a module of the Integrated Household Survey (IHS). In recognition, the survey was renamed the General Lifestyle Survey (GLF/GLS). The GHS started in 1971 and has been carried out continuously since then, except for breaks in 1997-1998 when the survey was reviewed, and 1999-2000 when the survey was redeveloped. Following the 1997 review, the survey was relaunched from April 2000 with a different design. The relevant development work and the changes made are fully described in the Living in Britain report for the 2000-2001 survey. Following its review, the GHS was changed to comprise two elements: the continuous survey and extra modules, or 'trailers'. The continuous survey remained unchanged from 2000 to 2004, apart from essential adjustments to take account of, for example, changes in benefits and pensions. The GHS retained its modular structure and this allowed a number of different trailers to be included for each of those years, to a plan agreed by sponsoring government departments. Further changes to the GHS methodology from 2005: From April 1994 to 2005, the GHS was conducted on a financial year basis, with fieldwork spread evenly from April of one year to March the following year. However, in 2005 the survey period reverted to a calendar year and the whole of the annual sample was surveyed in the nine months from April to December 2005. Future surveys will run from January to December each year, hence the title date change to single year from 2005 onwards. Since the 2005 GHS (held under SN 5640) does not cover the January-March quarter, this affects annual estimates for topics which are subject to seasonal variation. To rectify this, where the questions were the same in 2005 as in 2004-2005, the final quarter of the latter survey was added (weighted in the correct proportion) to the nine months of the 2005 survey. Furthermore, in 2005, the European Union (EU) made a legal obligation (EU-SILC) for member states to collect additional statistics on income and living conditions. In addition to this the EU-SILC data cover poverty and social exclusion. These statistics are used to help plan and monitor European social policy by comparing poverty indicators and changes over time across the EU. The EU-SILC requirement has been integrated into the GHS, leading to large-scale changes in the 2005 survey questionnaire. The trailers on 'Views of your Local Area' and 'Dental Health' have been removed. Other changes have been made to many of the standard questionnaire sections, details of which may be found in the GHS 2005 documentation. Further changes to the GLF/GHS methodology from 2008 As noted above, the General Household Survey (GHS) was renamed the General Lifestyle Survey (GLF/GLS) in 2008. The sample design of the GLF/GLS is the same as the GHS before, and the questionnaire remains largely the same. The main change is that the GLF now includes the IHS core questions, which are common to all of the separate modules that together comprise the IHS. Some of these core questions are simpl y questions that were previously asked in the same or a similar format on all of the IHS component surveys (including the GLF/GLS). The core questions cover employment, smoking prevalence, general health, ethnicity, citizenship and national identity. These questions are asked by proxy if an interview is not possible with the selected respondent (that is a member of the household can answer on behalf of other respondents in the household). This is a departure from the GHS which did not ask smoking prevalence and general health questions by proxy, whereas the GLF/GLS does from 2008. For details on other changes to the GLF/GLS questionnaire, please see the GLF/GLS 2008: Special Licence Access documentation held with SN 6414. Currently, the UK Data Archive holds only the SL (and not the EUL) version of the GLF/GLS for 2008. Changes to the drinking section There have been a number of revisions to the methodology that is used to produce the alcohol consumption estimates. In 2006, the average number of units assigned to the different drink types and the assumption around the average size of a wine glass was updated, resulting in significantly increased consumption estimates. In addition to the revised method, a new question about wine glass size was included in the survey in 2008. Respondents were asked whether they have consumed small (125 ml), standard (175 ml) or large (250 ml) glasses of wine. The data from this question are used when calculating the number of units of alcohol consumed by the respondent. It is assumed that a small glass contains 1.5 units, a standard glass contains 2 units and a large glass contains 3 units. (In 2006 and 2007 it was assumed that all respondents drank from a standard 175 ml glass containing 2 units.) The datasets contain the original set of variables based on the original methodology, as well as those based on the revised and (for 2008 onwards) updated methodologies. Further details on these changes are provided in the Guidelines documents held in SN 5804 - GHS 2006; and SN 6414 - GLF/GLS 2008: Special Licence Access. Special Licence GHS/GLF/GLS Special Licence (SL) versions of the GHS/GLF/GLS are available from 1998-1999 onwards. The SL versions include all variables held in the standard 'End User Licence' (EUL) version, plus extra variables covering cigarette codes and descriptions, and some birthdate information for respondents and household members. Prospective SL users will need to complete an extra application form and demonstrate to the data owners exactly why they need access to t he extra variables, in order to get permission to use the SL version. Therefore, most users should order the EUL version of the data. In order to help users choose the correct dataset, 'Special Licence Access' has been added to the dataset titles for the SL versions of the data. A list of all GHS/GLF/GLS studies available from the UK Data Archive may be found on the GHS/GLF/GLS major studies web page. See below for details of SL datasets for the corresponding GHS/GLF/GLS year (1998-1999 onwards only). UK Data Archive data holdings and formats The UK Data Archive GHS/GLF/GLS holdings begin with the 1971 study for EUL data, and from 1998-1999 for SL versions (see above). Users should note that data for the 1971 study are currently only available as ASCII files without accompanying SPSS set-up files. SPSS files for the 1972 study were created by John Simister, and redeposited at the Archive in 2000. Currently, the UK Data Archive holds only the SL versions of the GHS/GLF/GLS for 2007 and 2008. Reformatted Data 1973 to 1982 - Surrey SPSS Files SPSS files have been created by the University of Surrey for all study years from 1973 to 1982 inclusive. These early files were restructured and the case changed from the household to the individual with all of the household information duplicated for each individual. The Surrey SPSS files contain all the original variabl es as well as some extra derived variables (a few variables were omitted from the data files for 1973-76). In 1973 only, the section on leisure was not included in the Surrey SPSS files. This has subsequently been made available, however, and is now held in a separate study, General Household Survey, 1973: Leisure Questions (held under SN 3982). Records for the original GHS 1973-1982 ASCII files have been removed from the UK Data Archive catalogue, but the data are still preserved and available upon request. Users should note that GHS/GLF/GLS data are also available in formats other than SPSS.

All persons (German and non-German) who resided in private households and were born before 1 January 1986

Probability: Stratified: Disproportional; Probability: Multistage

The 2004 General Social Survey (GSS) reported significant increases in social isolation and significant decreases in ego network size relative to previous periods. These results have been repeatedly challenged. Critics have argued that malfeasant interviewers, coding errors, or training effects lie behind these results. While each critique has some merit, none precisely identify the cause of decreased ego network size. In this article, we show that it matters that the 2004 GSS—unlike other GSS surveys—was fielded during a highly polarized election period. We find that the difference in network size between nonpartisan and partisan voters in the 2004 GSS is larger than in all other GSS surveys. We further discover that core discussion network size decreases precipitously in the period immediately around the first (2004) presidential debate, suggesting that the debate frames “important matters” as political matters. This political priming effect is stronger where geographic polarization is weaker and among those who are politically interested and talk about politics more often. Combined, these findings identify the specific mechanism for the reported decline in network size, indicate that inferences about increased social isolation in America arising from the 2004 GSS are unwarranted, and suggest the emergence of increased political isolation.

The two primary objectives of the General Social Survey (GSS) are: to gather data on social trends in order to monitor changes in the living conditions and well being of Canadians over time; and to provide information on specific social policy issues of current or emerging interest. This survey collects information on the nature and extent of criminal victimization in Canada. Core content is designed to measure changes in society related to living conditions and well-being and to supply data to inform specific policy issues. This includes variables relating to: perceptions, history and risk, crime prevention, criminal victimization, abuse by spouse/partner, sexual violence, crime reports, internet victimization and various demographic variables of the respondent. Cycle 23 is the fifth cycle of the GSS to collect data on victimization. Previous cycles were conducted in 1988, 1993, 1999 and 2004.