Frequently Asked Questions
Restricted Use Data
Questions about applying for access to restricted use data, and access methods
Information on how to obtain restricted use data can be found on the study homepage. Use the "Access Restricted Data" button (as shown within the oval in the example of a study homepage shown below) for guidelines and to complete your online application.
We encourage you to visit the “How to Access Data” page to learn more about the steps required to apply and gain access to restricted use data and the different access methods available.
CFData and ICPSR are committed to protecting respondent confidentiality and ensuring that restricted use data are used appropriately. Therefore, there are systems that have been put into place to protect data while also making restricted use data available to researchers.
CLOSEStudents (Master’s or Ph.D. level) and others who don’t have a terminal degree can apply for access to restricted use data with a qualified researcher who is PI-eligible as their sponsor. The sponsor would be responsible for reading and acknowledging all terms in the Restricted Data Use Agreement, while the student(s) would be listed in the “Research Staff” section of the application.
CFData is also willing to work with individuals on a case-by-case basis, for example if you are:
- Someone with a Master’s degree that is PI-eligible at your institution
- An analyst with a research organization
- An analyst with a government agency with or without a research arm
- An analyst with a foundation or small consulting firm
IRB approval is still required. Please email CFData-help@umich.edu to discuss if you qualify for access to restricted use data.
CLOSERestricted use data can be accessed in several ways and the method depends on the study. We encourage you to visit the “How to Access Data” page to learn more about the different access methods available.
For restricted use data accessed via Secure Download, it is likely that you may be able to access restricted use data from home or another remote location as long as you meet the requirements in the Restricted Data Use Agreement and selected Data Security Plan, which indicates how you will access the restricted use data.
For restricted data accessed via the Virtual Data Enclave (VDE), access may be allowed if you can identify a certain room in your remote location that meets the same physical security requirements described in the VDE Data Security Plan. The VDE Data Security Plan is an appendix to the Restricted Data Use Agreement and is provided during the application process. Approved VDE users access the data through the VMWare Horizon View client.
Email CFData-help@umich.edu with any questions.
CLOSE- PRIOR to moving the restricted use data to a different remote location (i.e., not your originally approved location), you must log into your existing applicationto a) update your Data Security Plan and b) identify a single room in your remote location that meets the security requirements of the Data Security Plan. The updated Data Security Plan must also be submitted for the CFData team’s review and approval PRIOR to moving the restricted use data.
- The computer and storage specifications of the new remote location must still meet the Data Security Plan requirements. These requirements, which can be found in your application, differ based on your Data Security Plan, but generally include:
- The computer storing the data or the external storage device must never connect to the internet for as long as the data resides on the computer or when the external storage device is connected to a computer. The internet must be disabled even when the data are not in use until the project is terminated.
- The monitor must never be visible to anyone else at the remote location during data analysis.
- The storage location must not be accessible to anyone else at the remote location.
- The storage device (e.g., the computer’s internal drive or separate attached external storage device) which currently holds the restricted use data must be encrypted before it is moved from the originally approved location specified in your existing application. The entire storage device must be encrypted, not only the data files.
- If you move the computer holding the restricted use data to your remote location, it must remain isolated from any network connection (wired or wireless) at all times during the transfer.
- If the data are stored on a computer’s internal drive and that computer cannot be moved, you may transfer the data to a removable storage device such as an external USB hard drive or thumb drive. Any removable storage device to which restricted use data are transferred must be whole-disk encrypted before it is moved to a remote location.
- If you transfer the restricted use data to your remote location on an encrypted removable storage device, you may connect it to a computer at the remote location only under the following conditions:
- The computer at the remote location must be disconnected from all wired and wireless networks prior to connecting the remote storage device. Disabling the network interface(s) is the preferred method since this prevents the computer from automatically reconnecting to networks.
- The computer must remain disconnected from all networks while the external storage device is connected to the computer.
- Any software used to analyze the data should be configured to store temporary files and output to the encrypted device.
- You are not permitted to copy restricted use data from the encrypted device to your personal computer (i.e., the local internal hard drive), to a cloud storage, or to any other storage medium.
- When not in use, the device must be stored in a locked filing cabinet, drawer, or safe and the keys are accessible only to people approved to access the restricted use data.
- Encryption passwords are stored securely and are not shared with others.
ICPSR has provided detailed encryption instructions using BitLocker, MacOS, and VeraCrypt.
If you need additional assistance with device encryption, send questions to CFData-help@umich.edu or please reach out to your institution’s computing department.
CLOSETo access data via your institution's virtual data enclave, you must select the “Local virtual or physical enclave on an isolated network” option when selecting your Data Security Plan in your application. You will need to send your institution's System Security Plan (SSP) to document that the system you have proposed to use for data storage meets ICPSR’s requirements.
After submitting your application and documentation, CFData will review these materials to confirm whether your institution's virtual data enclave meets ICPSR’s security requirements. You will be notified of our decision.
For additional assistance contact CFData-help@umich.edu.
CLOSEInstitutions may request changes to the Restricted Data Use Agreement. A Word version of the Restricted Data Use Agreement can be requested from CFData-help@umich.edu. Your institution’s legal department should create a new Word version with modifications identified using track changes. Please email the new Word version of the Restricted Data Use Agreement to CFData-help@umich.edu and also provide:
- the title of the study you are applying to access,
- the contact information of your legal representative, and
- the application number assigned to your online application (if you have started an application).
Even if another researcher at your institution has an approved modified Restricted Data Use Agreement with CFData, you must follow the steps outlined above to establish a new modified Restricted Data Use agreement for your application. You can, however, submit a prior modified Data Use Agreement with track changes to CFData-help@umich.edu to begin the approval process outlined above. Please note whether the proposed modifications have already been reviewed and approved by ICPSR to potentially expedite the process. CFData and the University of Michigan's Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) will review the modifications. ORSP will work directly with your institution to negotiate a final Restricted Data Use Agreement.
Please note that the one-hour reporting period for any data security breaches, including breaches of protocol, or violations of the terms of the restricted data use agreement, is not negotiable as it is a requirement of CFData’s contract with the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation within the Administration for Children and Families and extends to all of our data users. This one-hour reporting requirement is mandatory, even for suspected incidents, with a full investigation being conducted by the Investigators and Institutional Representatives in cooperation with ICPSR after the one-hour reporting period. Please notify CFData about suspected or confirmed incidents within one hour through an email to CFData-help@umich.edu. A formal report is not needed to satisfy this one-hour reporting requirement although your institution may choose to follow up with a formal report.
Also, note that requesting modifications to the Restricted Data Use Agreement will add significant processing time to your application and may delay access to the data by several weeks. Thus, we encourage you to consider whether the modifications you are requesting are absolutely necessary. Once approved, you must still either a) upload the final, signed Restricted Data Use Agreement to your application if using the Secure Download access method or b) email it to CFData-help@umich.edu if using the ICPSR Virtual Data Enclave.
CLOSEResearchers from different institutions must apply separately for access to the restricted use data and submit their own Restricted Data Use Agreement signed by an Institutional Representative at their institution since the Restricted Data Use Agreement is at the institution-level. Although the research project may have one lead Investigator, an Investigator with PI-eligibility is also needed within each institution to read and acknowledge the Restricted Data Use Agreement. Each application should cross reference the other institution in the Research Description. Please contact CFData-help@umich.edu if you need any assistance with this process.
CLOSEIf using ICPSR’s Virtual Data Enclave to access the restricted use data, only one IRB letter from one of the collaborating institutions is needed since all institutions will use the same ICPSR Virtual Data Enclave workspace.
If using the Secure Download method for access, each application needs to provide an IRB letter as this makes sure that each institution’s IRB knows that researchers at their institution will be in possession of the restricted use data.
With either method, please make sure the IRB letter corresponds with the Research Project Title in the application, and the lead Investigator or a research staff member listed on the application from the issuing institution is named on the IRB letter.
CLOSEFor datasets that are part of a series (e.g. FACES), you may select one or more studies from that series in the Data Selection section of your online application. For datasets that are not part of a series, you will need to submit a separate application for each dataset.
Note that some datasets have additional or different requirements. The American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) FACES studies have additional application requirements that can be found in the study homepage under Special Requirements. The FACES 2014 Family Engagement Plus study is only available for access in ICPSR’s Virtual Data Enclave whereas the other FACES studies are available only using Secure Download.
CLOSEBelow are some common situations. If none of these apply to your situation, please contact ICPSR-help@umich.edu.
I can't reach 2fa.midesktop.it.umich.edu.
This implies a network issue, most commonly a firewall issue. Please check the firewall on your computer or home network. If connecting via your institution's virtual private network (VPN) service, please contact ICPSR-help@umich.edu to review the addresses, ports and protocols that your institution has permitted. Some institutions limit what is permitted over their VPN.
I can reach 2fa.midesktop.it.umich.edu, but I can't authenticate.
This implies an account issue, possibly your password is incorrect, your account has been locked, or your account has lapsed. Please contact ICPSR-help@umich.edu.
I can authenticate, but I don't see my pool.
This implies your account, user license, or Restricted Data Use Agreement has lapsed. Please contact ICPSR-help@umich.edu.
I see my pool, but when I attempt to connect, the window opens, remains black, and eventually closes.
This implies a firewall issue. Please check the firewall on your computer or home network. If connecting via your institution's VPN service, please contact ICPSR-help@umich.edu to review the addresses, ports and protocols that your institution has permitted.. Some institutions limit what is permitted over their VPN.
CLOSEAccess
Questions about login, password, general data access, and data downloads
I've forgotten my password. How do I get a new one?
Just go to the MyData login page and click on the "Request a new password" link. You'll be asked to enter your email address, and then a new password will be sent to you. After you get the email, you'll probably want to change your password to something easily remembered.
I've changed my email address. How do I change my login? What if I change institutions?
You can edit your email address, change your password, and update your account information on the Edit Account Details page.
When I attempt to access data from home, I get an "access denied" message, even though my institution is an ICPSR member. Why?
Assuming your Offocial Representative has provided us with the IP ranges for your institution, you can access data from home, but you first have to login to the ICPSR website from on campus. Once you do so, your MyData account is validated for off campus downloads for the next six months. Every time you log in to the ICPSR website from on campus, that is extended another six months.
In the event that you simply cannot get on campus (for example, you're on sabbatical), simply contact ICPSR-help@umich.edu. We'll check with your institution's Official Representative and then manually validate your account.
Whenever I try to login, I get a message stating that I don't have cookies enabled. What's going on?
Under normal operation the website uses the HTTP protocol to deliver content. In a small number of cases we use HTTP with SSL encryption (commonly referred to as HTTPS) to protect the security of the data moving across the network. Our login procedure is one such case.
When one tries to access a resource on the website, the system checks for the presence of a login ticket (or, more generically, a cookie). If there is no ticket available, the browser is redirected to a URL (using HTTP) where the person enters a login and password. When the person clicks the Log In button, the login and password are delivered to the website via HTTPS, and the website returns a login ticket via HTTPS. Finally the website returns the person to the original Web page or resource via HTTP. If anything goes wrong during this process, we deliver an error message about cookies not being enabled, which is the most common cause of failure. The next most common failure is when a site uses a proxy server or firewall, but only proxies HTTP, not HTTPS, and so the transaction fails.
The work around is to force the entire transaction through HTTPS. Here's an easy way to do that:
- Go to Manage My Account
- This should redirect you to the error page about cookies not being enabled. The URL in the "Address bar" should look like this: http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/rpxlogin.
- Modify the URL above, adding in an "s" between the "p" in "http" and the semicolon. It should now look like this: https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/rpxlogin
- Enter your MyData login and password, and click the Log In button. Or click the Log In Anonymously button.
- You should now have this URL in your "Address bar"(http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/mydata?path=ICPSR) and have a list of account-related actions you can take. The important thing, though, is that you now have a ticket (cookie) and should be able to download resources. If you click the logo at the top of the page, that will return you to the home page, and you can then use the website as usual.
Please note that you cannot combine steps (1) and (3) by starting at a HTTPS-delivered version of the home page, because you will still be redirected to an HTTP-type link for the login page after performing step (2). Thus step (3) will still be necessary, and it will also force many web fetches to incur the SSL encryption overhead on both our server and your desktop machine.
CLOSEThere are a number of problems that can pop up when you attempt to download data:
You download a zipped file, but you don't get any data files...just the documentation.
This means that we can't tell that you are with an ICPSR member institution, and the data you're attempting to download is only available to member institutions.
This happens in four situations: 1) when you're trying to download data from home, but haven't downloaded from on campus in the last six months; 2) when you're trying to use a proxy server, but your settings are incorrect; 3) ICPSR simply doesn't have the complete IP range for your campus; and 4) the data that you are attempting to download are restricted from general dissemination (i.e., the data contain sensitive information and you have to fill out a lot of paperwork to obtain it).
If you're downloading from home, read the information below on off-campus access. If you're using a proxy server, please stop; just go directly to our website. You'll know you're at a proxy address if the URL looks like http://www.myschool.edu.0-icpsr.umich.edu/ or the like.
If the above suggestions don't apply, please follow the instructions in "Helping ICPSR Troubleshoot," and we'll attempt to fix the problem.
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You type in your login and password and get a message that you have successfully logged in, but are then sent back to the login screen.
This generally means that you're not connecting to your proxy server properly. In this situation, you will need to talk to your Official Representative or your local IT/networking staff. Please note that it is not necessary to use a proxy server to access ICPSR data, and in many cases using a proxy server will interfere with downloads.
If you're certain that you're not using a proxy server, please follow the instructions in "Helping ICPSR Troubleshoot".
You get a message that states, "You have successfully authenticated but you are not authorized to access the requested document."
Some sections of our website are only available to specific users. For example, some functions on the Official Representative (OR) website are only available to users whose MyData account has been flagged as an OR account. Or you have attempted to access an online analysis utility that is only available to member institutions.
If you believe you have reached this message in error, please e-mail web-support@icpsr.umich.edu, and be sure to send them the URL of the page in question.
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You get an error message stating "...[your file] could not be saved, because the source file could not be read. Try again later, or contact the server administrator."
This is an error that relates to Firefox/Mozilla. Please consult their documentation on the problem.
Helping ICPSR Troubleshoot
In order for ICPSR to investigate most access problems, we need to know your computer's network address and what network address you're forwarding to us. To gather that info, do the following:
- Log in to MyData.
- Go to our ticket verification tool.
- Copy the text there and paste it into an e-mail to web-support@icpsr.umich.edu.
Downloading Data from Off-Campus
If your institution's Official Representative has provided us with the IP ranges for your institution, you can access data from home, but you first have to login to the ICPSR website from on campus. Once you do so, your MyData account is validated for off campus downloads for the next six months. Every time you log in to the ICPSR website from on campus, that is extended another six months.
In the event that you cannot get on campus (for example, you're on sabbatical), contact ICPSR-help@umich.edu. We'll check with your and then manually validate your account.
In many cases there is no public version of the data. If our website does not display a public version, then only a restricted version has been authorized for release by the Principal Investigator.
CLOSEAnalysis
Questions specific to statistical software (SAS, SPSS, Stata, R)
We primarily distribute data files in eight data formats: three plain text formats (column-delimited ASCII, comma-delimited ASCII, and tab-delimited ASCII), two SAS formats (SAS XPORT and CPORT files), two SPSS formats (SPSS SAV and portable files), and the single Stata data format. Virtually every data file is available in a plain text format. We also supply many data files in one or more of the other formats.
Plain Text
Column-, comma-, and tab-delimited ASCII data files store data, including numeric values, as lines of plain text, with one or more lines per observation (or subject or case). In the plain text format, every character of text--each digit, letter, or other symbol--is encoded in a separate byte in the data file. Thus, the number 133.5 occupies five bytes, the number 8 just one byte, and the string "computer programmer" requires nineteen bytes. Many of ICPSR's plain text data files are encoded with the ASCII character encoding system. However, some use other encodings, such as IBM PC code page 437, which is based on ASCII but supports more characters than ASCII does. Most use the ASCII-based ISO 8859-1 or Windows-1252 encodings.
In all three types of plain text data files, the line(s) allocated to a given observation contains the observation's values for the file's variables. What sets the three types apart is way the values are demarcated on the lines.
In a column-delimited ASCII data file, each variable occupies the same byte(s) on every observation. The bytes are usually called "columns," hence the name of this data format. For example, if a file with one line per observation has just three variables which occupy three bytes each, then the first variable would be located in columns 1-3, the second in columns 4-6, and the third in columns 7-9 on each line in the data file.
To facilitate the use of the column-delimited ASCII data files, which require programming expertise to import them into statistical packages for analysis, ICPSR usually provides programs, called "setups," to read them into SAS, SPSS, or Stata. The setups also assign variable labels and usually assign value labels and define missing values too.
In a comma-delimited ASCII data file, the data values are separated with commas instead of being located in fixed column locations. Thus, in this format, the length of each line varies according to the magnitude of the line's data values. For example, the first two lines of a four-variable data file could look like this:
1,133.5,plumber,250778 2,44,librarian,20000
As with the column-delimited ASCII files, ICPSR usually provides setups to read the comma-delimited ASCII files into SAS, SPSS, or Stata.
Tab-delimited ASCII data files are the same as comma-delimited ASCII files except that values are delimited with a special tab control character instead of a comma. Most of these files were created by ICPSR for use with spreadsheets, such as Excel, into which they can be easily imported. These files can also be read into statistical packages like SAS, SPSS, and Stata. However, ICPSR rarely provides setups for that purpose.
SAS
We distribute two SAS data formats: SAS transport files generated by the SAS CPORT procedure and SAS transport files written by the SAS XPORT engine. Both types of files contain specially formatted SAS data sets, which contain variable labels as well as data. Many of ICPSR's SAS CPORT files also include SAS format catalogs with value labels.
SAS CPORT files should be imported into SAS with the SAS CIMPORT procedure.
Since SAS has an engine that reads SAS XPORT files, they can be read by any SAS command that can read an ordinary SAS data set, such as the SAS set statement or the SAS FREQ procedure. SAS XPORT files can also be converted to standard SAS data sets with the SAS COPY procedure.
SPSS
We distribute two types of SPSS data files: SPSS SAV files written by the SPSS save command and SPSS portable files written by the SPSS export command. Both types of data files include variable labels and usually include value labels and missing value definitions.
To load SPSS SAV files into SPSS use the SPSS get command.
To read SPSS portable files into SPSS use the SPSS import command.
Stata
Like the SAS and SPSS formats, Stata's proprietary data file format, which is written by the Stata save command, is platform independent. Our Stata data files include variable labels and usually include value labels too.
Stata data files should be loaded into Stata with the Stata use command.
Many of our data collections that contain ASCII data files are accompanied by setup files that allow users to read the text files into statistical software packages. Since a visual interpretation of alphanumeric data files is inefficient, statistical software is needed to define, manipulate, extract, and analyze variables and cases within data files. We currently provide for many of our data collections setup files for SAS, SPSS, and Stata statistical software packages, three of the more commonly used analytical software packages for the social sciences.
Utilizing Setup Files
ICPSR has prepared tutorials on how to analyze data using setup files:
- ASCII Data File + SAS Setup Files: PDF PPT
- ASCII Data File + SPSS Setup Files: PDF PPT
- ASCII Data File + Stata Setup Files: PDF PPT
You can find video tutorials addressing this topic on the ICPSR YouTube channel.
You can find a video tutorial addressing this topic on the ICPSR YouTube channel.
Requesting Setup Files from ICPSR
If you're not comfortable building your own setup file, you can contact ICPSR User Support at ICPSR-help@umich.edu to inquire about the possibility of ICPSR creating setup files for the study.
If it is determined that ICPSR cannot create them or cannot create them within your time frame, then you are advised to seek assistance from someone on your campus with experience in the statistical package that you have chosen to use.
Understanding Setup Files
If you wish to create a setup file on your own, you should download the documentation for the study, and then consult our tutorial on interpreting a record from an ASCII data file.
The following instructions explain the different components of SAS, SPSS, and Stata setup files. Setup files for certain collections may not contain all of the commands listed below.
SAS Setup Files
SAS setup files can be used to generate native SAS file formats such as SAS datasets, SAS xport libraries, and transport files. Our SAS setup files generally include the following SAS sections. Click on each section to see an example taken from ICPSR 6512 (Capital Punishment in the United States, 1973-1993).
- PROC FORMAT: Creates user-defined formats for the variables. Formats replace original value codes with value code descriptions. Not all variables necessarily have user-defined formats.
- DATA: Begins a SAS data step and names an output SAS dataset.
- INFILE: Identifies the input data file to be read with the input statement. Users must replace the "physical-filename" with host computer-specific input file specifications. For example, users on Windows platforms should replace "physical-filename" with "C:\06512-0001-Data.txt" for the data file named "06512-0001-Data.txt" located on the root directory "C:\".
- INPUT: Assigns the name, type, decimal specification (if any), and specifies the beginning and ending column locations for each variable in the data file.
- LABEL: Assigns descriptive labels to all variables. Variable labels and variable names may be identical for some variables.
- FORMAT: Associates the formats created by the PROC FORMAT step with the variables named in the INPUT statement.
- MISSING VALUE RECODES: Sets user-defined numeric missing values to missing as interpreted by the SAS system. Only variables with user-defined missing values are included in the statements.
SPSS Setup Files
SPSS setup files can be used to generate native SPSS file formats such as SPSS system files and SPSS portable files. SPSS setup files produced by
- DATA LIST: Assigns the name, type, decimal specification (if any), and specifies the beginning and ending column locations for each variable in the data file. Users must replace the "physical-filename" with host computer-specific input file specifications. For example, users on Windows platforms should replace "physical-filename" with "C:\06512-0001-Data.txt" for the data file named "06512-0001-Data.txt" located on the root directory "C:\".
- VARIABLE LABELS: Assigns descriptive labels to all variables. Variable labels and variable names may be identical for some variables.
- VALUE LABELS: Assigns descriptive labels to codes in the data file. Not all variables necessarily have assigned value labels.
- MISSING VALUES: Declares user-defined missing values. Not all variables in the data file necessarily have user-defined missing values. These values can be treated specially in data transformations, statistical calculations, and case selection.
- MISSING VALUE RECODE: Sets user-defined numeric missing values to missing as interpreted by the SPSS system. Only variables with user-defined missing values are included in the statements.
Stata Setup Files
Stata setup files can be used to generate native Stata DTA files. Stata setup files produced by ICPSR generally include the following Stata sections. Click on each section to see an example taken from ICPSR 6512 (Capital Punishment in the United States, 1973-1993).
- FILE SPECIFICATIONS: Assigns values to local macros that specify the locations of the files used to build a Stata system file. Users must replace the "physical-filename" with host computer-specific input file specifications. For example; users on Windows platforms should replace "raw-datafile-name" with "C:\06512-0001-Data.txt" for the data file named "06512-0001-Data.txt" located on the root directory of "C:\". Simarlarly, the "dictionary-filename" should be replaced with "C:\06512-0001-Stata_dictionary.dct". The "stata-datafile" specification should be named with the specification for where you wish to store the Stata system file.
- INFILE COMMAND: Reads the columnar ASCII data into a Stata system file.
- VALUE LABEL DEFINITIONS: Defines descriptive labels for the individual values of each variable.
- MISSING VALUES: Replaces numeric missing values (i.e., -9) with generic system missing ".". By default the code in this section is commented out. Users wishing to apply the generic missing values should remove the comment at the beginning and end of this section. Note that Stata allows you to specify up to 27 unique missing value codes.
- SAVE OUTFILE: This section saves out a Stata system format file. There is no reason to modify it if the macros in Section 1 were specified correctly.
Many of our datasets offer delimited files as a download option. Delimited files can be imported into Excel. ICPSR has a tutorial on how to read tab-delimited files into Excel.
Please note that this process will not work with the majority of ASCII data disseminated by ICPSR as they are not tab-delimited. For instructions on how to import non-tab-delimited ASCII data into Excel, please seek help from your campus' Official Representative in finding someone on your campus who can help you accomplish this.
CLOSER can be used as an alternative to traditional statistical packages such as SPSS, SAS, and Stata. It is an extensible, open-source language and computing environment for Windows, Macintosh, UNIX, and Linux platforms. R performs a wide variety of basic to advanced statistical and graphical techniques at little to no cost to the user. Installation files for Windows, Mac, and Linux can be found at the Comprehensive R Archive Network. The site also contains documentation for downloading and installing the software on different operating systems. There is no cost for downloading and using R.
How do I read ICPSR data into R?
We have a brief tutorial available on how to read data into R.
Can I use R without having to learn the details of the R language?
Yes (at least for the basics), there are a number of "front ends" that have been constructed in order to make it easier for users to interact with the R statistical computing environment. For example, a graphical user interface (or "GUI") allows the analyst to carry out data analysis tasks by selecting items from menus and lists, rather than entering commands.
One such GUI is the R Commander, written by John Fox. The R Commander is accessed by installing and loading the Rcmdrpackage within R. The R Commander provides an easy-to-use, menu-based system for loading data into R, manipulating data values, performing statistical analyses, creating graphical displays, and carrying out diagnostic tests on statistical models. Documentation for the R Commander is available on John Fox's website and in the following paper:
Fox, John. 2005. "The R Commander: A Basic-Statistics Graphical User Interface to R." Journal of Statistical Software 14(9).
Users can find several other GUI systems, in addition to the R Commander, for interacting with R.
CLOSEICPSR uses software called SDA to enable users to do statistical analysis via their Web browser. Online analysis is available for these studies on our website.
The Survey Documentation and Analysis (SDA) system allows users to conduct statistical analysis quickly and efficiently using their Web browser. It was developed by the Computer-assisted Survey Methods Program (CSM) at the University of California at Berkeley. The SDA system is capable of performing a wide range of statistical analyses from bivariate crosstabulation to multiple regression and analysis of variance. The system allows users to design and implement custom recodes as well as generate subsets of data for download and analysis with traditional statistical applications.
Information about SDA and its capabilities can be found in the SDA online documentation from Berkeley.
You can also find video tutorials on using SDA on the ICPSR YouTube channel.
CLOSEDownload
Questions related to the download process
Our files are compressed using WinZip and have the .zip file suffix. Users who download compressed files will have to decompress the files before using them.
Windows
Windows XP has a built-in decompression tool that decompresses .zip files. Users with other Windows versions may need to download the utility from the WinZip website.
WinZip and the Saved Files Utility
WinZip users (and those who use the built-in decompression tool in Windows XP), should be aware that WinZip has two ways to extract files: by using drag-and-drop and by choosing "Extract" from underneath the "Actions" menu. These two methods produce different results. If you use drag-and-drop, then you will only get the files...not the folders that enclose them. Hence you'll lose the hierarchy that we've set up (including folders that are titled with study names and dataset names). If you use the "Extract" command from the "Actions" menu, then the folder hierarchy is preserved if 'Use Folder Names' is specified in the extraction dialog box.
When I attempt to uncompress the files I downloaded from your site, WinZip complains that the file name is insensible. How can I uncompress the file?
The total path length (not file name length) has to be less than 255 characters. Our file names can be lengthy. If the path to which you wish to extract your files is also lengthy, then WinZip will fail.
Extract your files to the root directory of your hard drive. I.e., extract the files to c:/ instead of c:/User/My Documents/Various Social Science Projects On Which I Work/ICPSR Data/.
Macintosh
For Macintosh OSX users, decompression software is built into the operating system; you can open compressed files by double-clicking on the .zip file.
If you're encountering problems with the MacOSX built-in decompression software, you may wish to download StuffIt Expander.
UNIX/Linux
Users in the UNIX/Linux environment can simply use the unzip command to decompress .zip files.
Once you have the appropriate software on your local machine, follow the instructions supplied by your software to decompress the zipped files.
CLOSESome older Web browsers set a limit on the maximum file size that can be downloaded. For example, Internet Explorer 6 will not download files larger than 2GB, and Internet Explorer 7 will not download files larger than 4GB.
If you're having trouble downloading a large study, we recommend you try the following:
- Verify that you have enough hard disk space for the download.
- Update/upgrade your Web browser.
- Try using a different Web browser.
- Download a single dataset at a time.
General
Other questions about data and documentation
CFData primarily accepts deposits of data from research projects funded by and preselected for archiving by the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). If your study was identified by OPRE for archiving, please visit our “For Data Depositors” page for more information.
If your research produced data about early care and education, families, children, or similar topics but OPRE has not identified your study for inclusion in CFData, ICPSR has several ways you can archive and share your data. Please email us at CFData-help@umich.edu to discuss what options might be available to you.
CLOSEWhy should I cite data?
Citing data files in publications based on those data is important for several reasons:
- Other researchers may want to replicate research findings and need the bibliographic information provided in citations to identify and locate the referenced data.
- Citations appearing in publication references are harvested by key electronic social sciences indexes, such as Web of Science, providing credit to the researchers.
- Data producers, funding agencies, and others can track citations to specific collections to determine types and levels of usage, thus measuring impact.
Where do I find the citation?
Citations for ICPSR data can be found in the following locations:
- Study descriptions that appear on the website
- File manifest
- PDF study description file
Both the file manifest and the PDF study description file are automatically included with every download. Thus, every download is accompanied by a copy of the standard citation that can be copied and pasted with ease.
What do the citations look like?
Here are some examples:
ABC News, and The Washington Post. ABC News/Washington Post Poll, May 2007 [Computer file]. ICPSR24588-v1. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2009-04-17. doi:10.3886/ICPSR24588
United States Department of Commerce. Bureau of the Census, and United States Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Current Population Survey: Annual Demographic File, 1987 [Computer file]. ICPSR08863-v2. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2009-02-03. doi:10.3886/ICPSR08863
Johnston, Lloyd D., Jerald G. Bachman, Patrick M. O'Malley, and John E. Schulenberg. Monitoring the Future: A Continuing Study of American Youth (12th-Grade Survey), 2007 [Computer File]. ICPSR22480-v1. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2008-10-29. doi:10.3886/ICPSR22480
Hall, David, Clement Leduka, Michael Bratton, E. Gyimah-Boadi, and Robert Mattes. Afrobarometer Round 3: The Quality of Democracy and Governance in Lesotho, 2005 [Computer file]. ICPSR22203-v1. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2009-05-19. doi:10.3886/ICPSR22203
Note that we also include a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) at the end of each citation. A DOI is a unique persistent identifier for a published digital object, such as an article of a study, providing a link to the article or study. This means that if you publish an article using ICPSR data and you include the DOI in the data citation, you make it easy for other researchers to get back to the original data.
Share Citations with CFData
If you have published or presented on data disseminated by CFData, you can share your citation with us by emailing bibliography@icpsr.umich.edu. This increases the visibility of your work and helps us track the impact of our data. CLOSE
A persistent URL is one that never changes. Persistent URLs are designed so that your bookmarks and links don't break when a website gets updated.
On the ICPSR website, our study descriptions now have persistent URLs. If you want to bookmark a study page or link to it from your website, you should bookmark/link the persistent URL.
DOIs
DOI stands for Digital Object Identifier (see The DOI System). A DOI is a unique persistent identifier for a published digital object, such as an article or a study. A DOI also links to an article or study. Here is an example of a citation for an ICPSR study with a DOI:
Deschenes, Elizabeth Piper, Susan Turner, and Joan Petersilia. INTENSIVE COMMUNITY SUPERVISION IN MINNESOTA, 1990-1992: A DUAL EXPERIMENT IN PRISON DIVERSION AND ENHANCED SUPERVISED RELEASE [Computer file]. ICPSR06849-v1. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2000. doi:10.3886/ICPSR06849
The DOI in this example is 10.3886/ICPSR06849 and the label "doi" links to the URL:
ICPSR maintains the DOI so that the link will always work.
If you're accessing an article, you'll probably be forwarded to a reference service like JStor or ProQuest, and if your campus has a subscription with that service, you should be able to access the full text. In other words, DOIs also have built-in OpenURL functionality.
DOIs are concise and easy to include in a citation. DOIs appear in the citations that we display on the ICPSR website and include with each download. If you publish an article using ICPSR data and you include the DOI in the data citation as one of your references, you make it easy for other researchers to get back to the original data.
DOIs are also part of an integrated network of linkages between articles and datasets that is maintained by publishers and archives through registration agencies like CrossRef. The inclusion of DOIs in citations makes it much easier for us to see how a report or dataset generates other research, which in turn assists researchers in demonstrating the value and scientific impact of their work.
How do I get a DOI for my survey?
DOIs are created/registered by publishing organizations, not by individuals. If you deposit your data with us, we'll assign a DOI for your study and it will appear in the citation on our website and in downloads.
How do I get a DOI for my report or article?
The journal/publisher of the article should assign the DOI. If your publisher isn't registering DOIs, you should encourage them to do so. The CrossRef website has useful information on how to get started.
How do I use DOIs?
Include them in your footnotes and references. Just copy and paste the citation, as you normally would, along with the DOI. By properly citing the data and including the DOI, you're giving proper credit to the investigators who conducted the research and giving the scholarly community a clearer picture of the impact of the research.
How do I demonstrate the impact of a study I've deposited with ICPSR?
The related literature link, available with each study, connects to a list of all the publications based upon your study that ICPSR has been able to find. DOIs enable us to harvest those citations more easily, because publishers submit these linkages to the DOI repositories, and we can capture them from there. If you want to help the process along (to build a complete list of citations), please:
- Email us any citations to publications we've missed: bibliography@icpsr.umich.edu.
- Include the DOI for the dataset whenever you publish articles about the data.
- Educate other researchers about the power and utility of DOIs. The system works best when everyone uses it.
- When writing reports, always cite the data. Encourage other researchers to cite the data as well.
- Encourage journal editors to include citations to data and their DOIs, along with citations to publications.
Yes, ICPSR can supply an earlier release version of a study unless that version is unavailable for confidentiality reasons or at the request of the principal investigator. Please send your request to ICPSR-help@umich.edu and include the ICPSR study title, study number, principal investigator, and the date and/or version of the data of interest. Data will be supplied on cdrom, generally within a week or two of receipt of request.
How does ICPSR manage versioning?
- What triggers a new edition or version of a study?
- A change in any of the data and/or documentation files.
- The addition of withdrawal of data and/or documentation files.
- How and where is such a change to a study documented?
In the metadata record:
- Version field (in version notation "ICPSRXXXXX-v3")
- Version history field (collect.changes, which provides a text description of what has changed, and a datestamp)
- Citation display includes the version statement
- What happens to unchanged files (if changes don't apply to all files)?
- ICPSR does not currently version at the individual file level - our version statement references the collection as a whole. If only one file of a multiple file collection changes, the collection version changes.
- Are previous editions/versions kept?
- Yes, through a back-up system and a searchable 'browse archive' feature available to authorized staff.
- Are these made available to users?
- Upon request only, previous versions can be made available to users.
- Clarification on terminology, do we use 'edition', 'version', or other terms?
- ICPSR uses 'version' exclusively. (Historically, ICPSR used three different terms: edition, version, and release, but these have all been rolled into the single term "version" and the notation "ICPSRXXXXX-v3").
- What do we mean by "version" : A form or variant of the original ICPSR-archived data collection.
There are several ways to find data with specific variables:
- If you are interested in finding a variable within a study, use the variables search feature found on the study’s homepage (as shown within the oval in the example below) to find the variable name, label/question text (when available), variable type, and the dataset in which the variable is found.
- If you are interested in finding a variable across studies, use our variable search feature (as shown within the ovals in the example below) to examine and compare variables across CFData datasets to find variables and, when available, the question used in collecting each variable.
- Use our main data search, which searches all documentation available for our studies, including the variable descriptions. This option will identify studies matching your keyword search for specific measures.
If a variable is listed in the codebook from the data producer (which can often be identified by “PI” or “data producer” in the file name) but is not found in the dataset, this variable was not shared with CFData by the data producer (e.g., due to disclosure risk concerns, an administrative variable was not considered useful for secondary data analyses, etc.). To inquire about specific information on missing variables, email CFData-help@umich.edu.
CLOSEContact User Support
If the FAQs and video tutorials do not answer your questions, our user support staff are available 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., ET, Monday to Friday.
Phone: 734-647-2200
Email: CFData-help@umich.edu
Our goal is to respond to inquiries on the same day they are received.