Why Deposit Data With ICPSR? We offer:
Data Curation. ICPSR enhances and adds value to data by making them easier to use. We also describe data fully for Web discovery and protect respondent privacy.
Long-Term Preservation. ICPSR ensures long-term data availability.
Worldwide Dissemination. ICPSR offers data in the major statistical package formats and online analysis. Usage statistics are available on request.
User Support. ICPSR staff are available to answer questions about downloading and using data.
Levels of Access. ICPSR offers restricted access data services, and a secure data enclave.
Aggregation of Publications. ICPSR creates a database of citations based on analyses of your data.
Deposit Data & Findings
How to Deposit Data
ICPSR welcomes and encourages deposits of digital data. Deposits are made using a secure Data Deposit Form to describe the data collection and upload content. You will need a MyData account to create, access, and authenticate your deposit.
For deposits that involve physical materials, please contact us (deposit@icpsr.umich.edu).
What Should My Deposit Include?
Deposits should include all data and documentation necessary to independently read and interpret the data collection. Key instructions for preparing data and documentation are listed below. For a discussion of best practice in preparing data for sharing, please refer to ICPSR's Guide to Social Science Data Preparation and Archiving, 4th Edition or contact us directly (deposit@icpsr.umich.edu).
Data File
ICPSR encourages depositors to submit data files as SAS, SPSS, or Stata files. ASCII files are also acceptable as long as they are accompanied with data definition statements. Datasets in other formats are accepted as well.
Each variable in the data collection should have a set of exhaustive, mutually-exclusive codes. Variable labels and value labels should clearly describe the information or question recorded in that variable.
When applicable, all identifying information should be removed from the records to ensure confidentiality.
Documentation
Documentation files are integral to interpreting a data collection and should thoroughly explain the data
collection. Examples of documentation files include codebooks, data collection instruments, summary
statistics, project summaries, and bibliographies of publications pertaining to the data. Documentation
can be submitted as Microsoft Word, ASCII, and DDI XML files
,
among other formats. Documentation that has
the question text integrated with variable information is preferred.
Description
Every new or revised ICPSR study includes a study description, which provides summary information about the data collection. Study descriptions are valuable resources to data users, and include both general information, such as study title and summary, as well as more detailed information about the study design and methodology. Much of the information used by ICPSR data archivists to create the study description comes from the ICPSR data deposit form. An MS Word file is provided to help you prepare and compile study description information before depositing your data.
What Happens to My Data After the Deposit?
After a data collection is deposited at ICPSR, a data archivist reviews the documentation and data, builds a study description, enhances the data, approves the data collection for distribution on the ICPSR Web site, and archives the data for long-term preservation. The ICPSR Pipeline Process diagram provides an overview of the steps ICPSR takes to acquire, archive, and disseminate a typical data collection. For a more in-depth discussion of ICPSR's approach to digital curation, please visit the Digital Curation section of this Web site.
How to Deposit Findings
How Do I Report My Research Findings?
After you've completed your research and have published your findings, ICPSR would like to add your publication to our Bibliography of Data-Related Literature, which links to the data you used and analyzed. To that end, ICPSR requests that you send citations to publications to bibliography@icpsr.umich.edu.
Questions?
Our FAQs answer many questions about depositing data with ICPSR.
If you would like to speak with an ICPSR data archivist directly, please contact us by email (deposit@icpsr.umich.edu) or by phone: (734) 647-2200.
