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(1984) 17 ANZJ Crim The Social Science Data Archives (SSDA) was established by the Australian National University in 1981 with a brief to acquire, maintain and disseminate computer-readable social science data for the purposes of secondary analysis. During its first year of operation SSDA has concentrated on the development of documentation standards and data processing procedures; has acquired and processed some 150 Australian data sets; and has serviced local and international user requests. The Archives is thus firmly established and is looking to encourage use of its resources both as a repository of data and as a data supply service. As with all its activities, SSDA policy on data acquisition is, to some extent, demand-driven: a request for a particular data set or for data relating to a particular topic is given first priority. On a broader front, the Archives is actively seeking to establish collections of similar data which can be linked either spatially and/or over time. The major collections at present are Census data; opinion poll data from the Age Poll (1974 to date) and Australian Gallup Polls (1946 to 1967); and data from surveys on drug use in Australia. Efforts are being made to extend the coverage with major academic, government and commercial studies that are thought likely to attract user demand. ' In addition to the acquisition of Australian data, the Archives has access to overseas data collections through its activities as the secretariat for the Australian Consortium for Social and Political Research Incorporated (ACSPRI). Overseas data sets are regularly acquired through ACSPRI membership of the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) at the University of Michigan and also through agreements with other overseas archives. Data deposited with the SSDA are checked for wild and unspecified codes and any confidential variables removed or masked before release of the data. Users receive a package consisting of the raw data file plus, in most cases, an SPSS set-up file and frequencies file on magnetic tape, and an accompanying user's guide. The latter includes a description of the methodology and content, a questionnaire, coding information and a list of variables and their location. Certain dissemination precautions are also taken to protect the depositors. Users are required to sign an undertaking to preserve confidentiality of responses, to acknowledge the original producers of the data in any publications resulting from the secondary analysis and observe any additional conditions imposed by the depositor. The SSDA is concerned to preserve data before, as is all too often the case, it becomes irretrievably lost. The ARGS requests grantees to deposit data within two years of the completion of fieldwork and we urge other researchers to do the same. Your data deposits, data requests and any other enquiries are welcome. Please ring the SSDA on (062) 49 4400 or write to: Research School of Social Sciences, TheAustralian National University, GPO Box 4, CANBERRA ACT 2601.
Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology – SAGE
Published: Mar 1, 1984
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