DOI: 10.3886/icpsr04697.v3
title: General Social Surveys, 1972-2006 [Cumulative File]
title: Version 3

description: The General Social Surveys (GSS) were designed as part of a data diffusion project in 1972. The GSS replicated questionnaire items and wording in order to facilitate time-trend studies. This data collection includes a cumulative file that merges all 25 General Social Surveys into a single file containing data from 1972 to 2006. The 2006 survey was composed of permanent questions that appeared on each of the previous surveys, rotating questions that appeared on two out of every three surveys (e.g., 1973, 1974, 1976), and a small number of occasional questions that occurred in a single survey. The GSS included 11 topical modules: quality of working life, attitudes towards firearms, shared capitalism, level of disability, use of foreign languages, mental health attitudes and experiences, number of people known, participation in congregations, knowledge about and attitude towards science, religious trends, and sexual behavior. The International Social Survey Program (ISSP) modules included in the 2006 survey were: the role of government, and work orientation. Specific topics included social-welfare and economic regulation, civil liberties, spending priorities, and political efficacy. The data also contain several variables describing the demographic characteristics of the respondents.
description: (1) WTSS or WTSSNR: GSS users need to use one of the weight variables for the 2004 and 2006 GSS's. The memo for weight variables can be found in the codebook. (2) WTSSALL: The weight variable WTSSALL is the same as WTSS for 2004 and 2006. It takes into consideration the subsampling of initial nonrespondents and the selection of one adult per household. See Appendix A for further discussion of WTSS. For years 1972-2002, WTSSALL takes into consideration the selection of one adult per household by adjusting for the number of adults in the household. See the general discussion of number of adults adjustment in Appendix A. In order to generalize to adults living in households and including more than just 2004 and 2006, this weight should be utilized. (3) Additional information regarding weight variables for this data collection can be found in Appendix A of the codebook.
description: ICPSR data undergo a confidentiality review and are altered when necessary to limit the risk of disclosure. ICPSR also routinely creates ready-to-go data files along with setups in the major statistical software formats as well as standard codebooks to accompany the data. In addition to these procedures, ICPSR performed the following processing steps for this data collection: Created online analysis version with question text..
description: Response Rates: Approximately 71 percent.
description: computer-assisted personal interview (CAPI), computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI), face-to-face interview, telephone interview 
2011-08-08 This data collection has been deaccessioned and is no longer available.
In 2006 there were two important changes to the General Social Surveys. First, Spanish interviews were conducted, so the target population is now adults living in households in the United States who speak English or Spanish. Second, a third sample was added to accommodate more supplements. This led to a total sample size in 2006 of 4,510.
This data collection includes a searchable, machine-readable PDF codebook. Hard copy versions of the codebook are no longer available.
Please see the codebook for important errata and processing notes.
 Additional information regarding the General Social Surveys can be found at the General Social Survey (GSS) Web site and the Roper Center Web site.
description: All noninstitutionalized, English- and Spanish-speaking persons 18 years of age or older, living in the United States. Smallest Geographic Unit: census region
description: National Opinion Research Center national probability sample. For the 2006 survey, a new sample frame based on the 2000 United States Census was implemented. Block quota sampling was used in 1972-1974 and for half of the 1975 and 1976 surveys. Full probability sampling was employed in the in half of the 1975 and 1976, and the 1977, 1978, 1980, 1982-1991, 1993-1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006 surveys. As with the 2004 survey, the 2006 survey subsampled nonrespondents. (See Appendix A of the codebook for more information.)