International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) Holdings and Descriptions

What is the International Social Survey Programme? Formed in the 1983, the ISSP is a continuing series of survey modules that supplement regular national surveys. Surveys regularly contain questions about social attitudes such as the legal system, gender, and the economy. More specific topics are covered in each survey as well. All surveys include "routine" questions about individual demographics. The list of countries included varies across each survey.

Note: This description was taken from the ICPSR website. For more information, please consult the ICPSR or the ISSP homepage.

Notes for Users: Below you will find a list of all ISSP survey files that are in the Electronic Data Center's holdings. Each list provides the title and year of the survey along with a brief blurb about the specifics of this particular study's contents, along with links to available downloads for each study. Note that each study has one or more particular themes or topics of investigation. Finally, the sample of countries included in each survey varies, so users should consult the codebooks for details on the sampling procedures.

For most studies, there is a codebook (either in txt or pdf format) and an SPSS data file (.sav). Occasionally, there will also be further appendices or questionnaires. For more recent ISSP studies, the data are also available in Stata format (.dta). Right-click on the appropriate link. If you are using Internet Explorer, choose "Save link as..." and then identify the appropriate directory on your computer. On Netscape or Mozilla, right-click then choose "Save link target as..." Once these files have downloaded successfully, you should be able to open them on your computer with the appropriate programs. The SPSS files should be ready to use in SPSS, while txt files should open with a program such as Notepad or Wordpad (available under "Accessories" in the Start menu). If you have any problems downloading files, or if you need help with converting files into different formats, please visit the EDC Help Pages or contact a staff member at the EDC.

Our holdings of Eurobarometer data are from the ICPSR. Additional data files are available from the German Social Science Infrastructure Services (GESIS). GESIS also has a search engine for ISSP codebooks and questionnaires that is very useful for identifying the topical contents of individual studies.

International Social Survey Program: Role of Government, 1985-1986

This survey asks respondents (in 6 countries) about the functions and role of national governments in their countries. This includes questions about families, civil liberties, and inequality.

International Social Survey Program: Networks and Support Systems, 1986

"The data provide detailed accounts of respondents' contacts with various relatives and friends along with information about where they would turn for help when faced with situations such as financial need, minor illness, career advice, and emotional distress." Seven countries are included in this round.

International Social Survey Program: Social Inequality, 1987

Questions were asked about equality of wealth, income, and opportunity. Respondents were asked about the extent of, causes of, and remedies for inequality. This survey module covers 9 European countries.

International Social Survey Program: Family and Changing Sex Roles, 1988

Asks questions about topics such as women working, child rearing and child care arrangements, and marriage and family structure. This survey covers 8 European countries.

International Social Survey Program: Work Orientations, 1989

This module asks questions about three related topics covering employment: (1) general attitudes towards work vs. leisure; (2) attitudes about work organization; (3) attitudes about work content. This survey covers 11 countries.

International Social Survey Program: Role of Government II, 1990

This survey is a follow-up to the "role of government" survey conducted in 1985-1986 (study #8909). This survey includes 8 countries, and it asks citizens about their beliefs regarding the role and function of government in their country.

International Social Survey Program: Role of Government I and II, Cumulative File, 1985-1986, 1990

This datafile combines both role of government studies. Note that only countries surveyed in both studies are included in this file.

International Social Survey Program: Religion, 1991

In addition to including a number of questions on religion (which includes broader questions about death, heaven/hell, as well as more specific questions about religious participation), this study also covers general social attitudes. This study covers 16 countries, including several countries outside of Europe.

International Social Survey Program: Social Inequality, 1992

This study asks questions about perceptions of equality of wealth, income, and opportunity. Seventeen countries are included in this study.

International Social Survey Program: Environment, 1993

This survey covers environmental topics, such as the possibility of science being used to protect the environment, one's willingness to pay higher costs or taxes to protect the environment, or the causes of pollution. This survey covers 20 countries.

International Social Survey Program: Family and Changing Gender Roles II, 1994

Respondents were asked about changing family roles, including employment, housework, and division of family duties. The survey covers 23 countries.

International Social Survey Program: National Identity, 1995

Includes a number of questions about national identity, such as feelings of national identity or closeness, awareness of or pride in national accomplishments, and openness to foreigners.

International Social Survey Program: Role of Government III, 1996

Includes questions on the role and function of national governments in the respondents' states. Twenty-three countries are included in this survey.

International Social Survey Program: Work Orientations II, 1997

This study covers many of the same topics as the 1989 "Work Orientations" study. It queries for attitudes about work vs. leisure, work content, and work organization. This survey covers 25 countries, possibly the most diverse group of countries in any of the studies to this point.

International Social Survey Program: Religion II, 1998

This study covers many of the same topics as the 1991 "Religion" study. Respondents are asked about their religious beliefs and participation (e.g., religious attendance, community service) the role of religious leaders, and religion and science. Respondents are surveyed in 31 countries.

International Social Survey Program: Social Inequality III, 1999

This study is available only on CD-ROM. Please contact the EDC staff to access the data.

International Social Survey Program, 1985-2000 Cumulative File

This CD contains files of each of the ISSP studies held by the ICPSR. Please contact the EDC staff to find out about obtaining this CD.

International Social Survey Program: Environment II, 2000

This study is the second ISSP survey focusing on environmental issues (the first being the 1993 study above). Respondents were asked questions on environmental problems, the role of the public and private sectors in addressing those problems, and any personal involement in environmental causes. The respondents came from 26 countries (including countries in Asia and Latin America).

International Social Survey Program: Family and Changing Gender Roles III, 2002

This study the third ISSP study focusing on families and gender roles (the first two being from 1988 and 1994 - see above). The survey covers topics such as family relationships and gender roles in the home and the workplace. The respondents came from 34 countries, including countries in Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Asia.


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