Using ICPSR Data
Each dataset in ICPSR has a main landing page / record that describes the study, what files are available, and any other important details.
Rosenfeld, Michael J., Reuben J. Thomas, and Maja Falcon. How Couples Meet and Stay Together (HCMST), Wave 1 2009, Wave 2 2010, Wave 3 2011, Wave 4 2013, Wave 5 2015, United States. ICPSR30103-v8. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2016-03-18. http://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR30103.v8
Parts of an ICPSR Record:
(Headline):Identifying information -- study title, ICPSR number and the names and affiliations of the primary investigators.
Project Description:Contains....
A narrative Summary of the study
Citation for this dataset, based on ICPSR's own format. Also included here are a permanent link to the record and options for exporting the dataset to RefWorks or other citation managers.
Funding sources for the study
Subject Terms associated with the study
Details on Geographic Coverage including the level of granularity, and
Restrictions, if any, on the data from this study
Scope of Project:Detailed information about the data-collection timelines, along with other notes as appropriate.
Methodology: Basic details on the study design, sample size and population, methods and modes of data collection, and response rates.
Versions: A list of updates made to the publicly-available data, along with the dates when it was modified.
Analysis Information: Information that might affect analysis of the study data, for example if any values were weighted.
Data & Documentation:A list of files that are available for download and the file formats they are available in.
Variables: A list (browseable or searchable) of the variables measured in the study.
Data-Related Publications:A bibliography of research articles related to the study.
Notes:Describes the accessibility of the specific dataset. For example, some datasets are available only to ICPSR members. Parts of some datasets are also restricted because they contain personally-identifying information; data in this category can only be viewed by applying to ICPSR for access for specific research purposes.
Instructional Resources: Resources that can be used to help understand and/or teach the relevant dataset.
Datasets
Datasets in ICPSR generally include the data files themselves as well as, in many cases, documentation files. For example, the study illustrated here includes a Codebook (essentially, the manual for the study, it includes consent and approval forms, notes on how the data was coded and interpreted, etc.) and the Questionnaire (an outline of the questions actually presented to participants in the course of the study, their sequence, etc.).
Data Formats
All data in ICPSR is available in at least one plain-text format. The files are also variously made available in SAS, SPSS, and Stats formats. More information about the file types available in ICPSR, and how they can be accessed and analyzed, is linked below:
Online Tools
If you'd rather not download files (or don't have the appropriate software), many datasets can also be analyzed online using tools built into ICPSR. Click on the Analyze Online button to get started, then choose your analysis tool
Although the interface of the SDA analysis tool (labeled "Full Analysis Capabilities") is barebones, it can be a good alternative to more complex programs such as SPSS or R. Click the link below to view tutorials available for the SDA online analysis tool.
Data Analysis
There are many resources available to assist you in interpreting the data you find in ICPSR. For example, you might wish to consult this guide, created by ICPSR to assist you in interpreting various types of analyses that you can conduct in SPSS.