What kind of data formats does the archive distribute? Do you have SPSS Portable files? SAS transport? Stata?
We distribute data in the following formats:
ASCII
Most DSDR data files are distributed as undelimited, or columnar, ASCII files. An ASCII data file consists of alphanumeric characters. ASCII data files are text files; as such, they can be opened in any word processing program, text editor, or Internet browser. The alphanumeric characters, however, are not meaningful without the help of a codebook or setup file, which will identify the columns of an ASCII data file as particular variables. In order to analyze the data, the ASCII file should be imported into a statistical, database, or spreadsheet software package.
ICPSR usually distributes ASCII files in one of two formats:
Fixed Format: Each record of the file is the same length, and the precise location of the data for each variable is in the same column on every line of data. This is the format for most of ICPSR's ASCII data files.
Free Format: The length of the records of the file may vary. Variables are found in a specified sequence but not in the same column locations for each record. Variables are sometimes separated from one another by a delimiter (i.e., a special character such as a comma or tab).
SPSS Portable and System
Some DSDR data files are distributed as SPSS files that are not specific to a particular SPSS version or computer platform. These files can be opened directly in SPSS statistical software without the use of setup files, by using the SPSS 'IMPORT FILE' command with portable (.por) files or 'GET FILE' with system (.sav) files.
SAS XPORT and CPORT Transport
Some DSDR data files are distributed as SAS transport files that were created with the XPORT and CPORT engines. These formats are not specific to a computer platform. These files can be opened directly in SAS statistical software without the use of setup files, by using PROC COPY with a libname statement that properly defines the XPORT (.xpt) file or by using PROC CIMPORT with the CPORT (.stc) file.
Stata System
Some ICPSR data files are distributed as Stata system (.dta) files that are not specific to a computer platform. These files can be opened directly in Stata Statistical software without the use of setup files.