1996 Contextual Dataset Development NES users have recently expressed interest in combining NES data with contextual information. This dataset will include variables related to the political context and media environment as well as census information. Collaboration in the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems NES participates as a collaborator in and secretariat for the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems, a unique program of cross-national research among election studies currently under way in over fifty consolidated and emerging democracies. CSES collaborators will come together in Seoul Korea this August, in conjunction with the IPSA meetings, for a conference on the CSES module, planning for further collaboration and coordination of data releases. As most users are aware, the 1996 NES represents the last data point in a panel study of respondents to the 1992 and 1994 election studies.
Panel data lend themselves to a variety of approaches to analysis.
One could focus on respondents in 1996 and incorporate variables from the 1994 and 1992 studies. Alternatively, one could begin with respondents to the 1992 NES and trace changes in this group over the three national elections. Full documentation on all data sets will be readily available and a guide to accessing data will accompany the release. Release of the panel data files compendium is set for Fall 1997. Pilot Study is proceeding apace.