Social Science Data Resources: Social Attitudes & Values

Access to thousands of social science datasets for research and instruction. A first place to start in looking for social science data for secondary analysis.

"Serve(s) as the leading source of quality data about the nation's people and economy." Includes the Decennial Census, the American Community Survey the Economic Census, and more.

Features an alphabetical list of data resources from government agencies. Includes all topics from health, education, economic, crime, child and family, immigration, genealogy, labor and many more.

Data on the public's use of, and attitudes toward, the Internet and traditional news outlets. Respondents are asked questions concerning their use of newspapers, television news, radio news, and news magazines.

Began in 1983, and has been conducted every year since, except in 1988 and 1992. Designed to produce annual measures of attitudinal shifts.

Large set of surveys measuring public opinion in the countries of the European Union, on a wide variety of topics.

EVS "was initiated by the European Value System Study Group (EVSSG) in the late 1970s. It is a large-scale, cross-national, and longitudinal survey research program on how Europeans think about family, work, religion, politics and society. Four waves of surveys were administered from 1981 to 2008 in an increasing number of countries. The surveys explore value differences, similarities, and value changes."

The GSS contains a standard 'core' of demographic, behavioral, and attitudinal questions, plus topics of special interest. Many of the core questions have remained unchanged since 1972 to facilitate time-trend studies as well as replication of earlier findings. The GSS takes the pulse of America, and is a unique and valuable resource.

Monitors social trends in Germany. Each data collection focuses on special topics of investigation. Basic demographic and socioeconomic data also are collected on the respondents, who are German-speaking persons 18 years of age and older. Conducted biennially since 1980. Before 1991, respondents were chosen from the Federal Republic of Germany and West Berlin only, and since 1991 from all of Germany.

ISSP is an ongoing program of crossnational collaboration. Formed in 1984, the ISSP group develops topical modules dealing with important areas of social science as supplements to regular national surveys. Every survey includes questions about general attitudes toward various social issues such as the legal system, sex, and the economy. Special topics have included the environment, the role of government, social inequality, etc.

"The Monitoring the Future: A Continuing Study of the Lifestyles and Values of Youth annual surveys were designed to explore changes in important values, behaviors, and lifestyle orientations of contemporary American youth."

The Pew Research Center is an independent opinion research group that studies attitudes toward the press, politics and public policy issues.

Includes summary information from social surveys indicating levels of happiness in about 90 countries around the world, along with data on possible causal factors. Data sets available at States of Nations and Trends in Nations.

The series is designed to enable a cross-national comparison of values and norms on a wide variety of topics and to monitor changes in values and attitudes across the globe. A variety of questions on religion and morality were included.