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About the data

The service provides access to over 5,000 computer-readable datasets for research, learning and teaching purposes for many different disciplines.

Types of data available:

• quantitative
  • microdata are the coded numerical responses to surveys with a separate record for each individual respondent
  • macrodata are aggregate figures, for example country-level economic indicators
  • data formats include SPSS, Stata and tab-delimited formats
• qualitative
  • data include in-depth interviews, diaries, anthropological field notes and the complete answers to survey questions
  • data formats include Excel, Word and Rich Text Format (RTF)
• multimedia
  • a small number of datasets may include image files, such as photographs, and audio clips
• non-digital material
  • paper media could include photographs, reports, questionnaires and transcriptions
  • analogue audio or audio-visual recordings

The data include those supported by the specialist services:

• ESDS Government large-scale government surveys, such as the Labour Force Survey and the General Household Survey
• ESDS International multi-nation aggregate databanks, such as World Bank data, and survey data, such as the Eurobarometers and World Values Surveys
• ESDS Longitudinal major UK surveys following individuals over time, such as the British Household Panel Survey
• ESDS Qualidata a range of multimedia qualitative data sources

The catalogue also contains historical data from the History Data Service and UK census data available via Census.ac.uk.

Note that the large majority of data are fully anonymised, unless otherwise specified in the relevant online catalogue records, and are therefore not suitable for genealogical users or family historians.

Sources of data

Over 200 new datasets are added each year and come from different sources, including:

• official agencies - mainly central government
• international statistical agencies
• individual academics with research grants
• market research agencies
• historical sources
• other data archives worldwide