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New Tool Gives Researchers Faster, Easier Access To Public Opinion Data

Press Release

NORC at the University of Chicago’s Data Explorer 2.0 makes accessing and analyzing General Social Survey data quicker and more user-friendly.

CHICAGO, February 2, 2022 – NORC at the University of Chicago has launched the new Data Explorer 2.0 for the General Social Survey (GSS), one of the nation’s largest data sets about societal change and American opinion. The new GSS Data Explorer offers users free access to GSS data to create reports identifying trends and other findings from the survey. The Data Explorer 2.0 launched on January 26 and is now ready for public use.

 The Data Explorer 2.0 is an upgrade of a previous version of the Explorer. Among other features, the 2.0 version includes a simplified user interface and a streamlined sign-in process to improve user experience when accessing GSS data.

“The General Social Survey is one of the most important data sets those researchers, teachers, students, journalists, and others have to understand changes in attitudes, opinions, and social norms in the U.S. over time. The Survey measures how people in the United States think and how that thinking has changed,” said René Bautista, director of the GSS and principal research scientist at NORC at the University of Chicago. “The Data Explorer 2.0 will make diving into the vast ocean of General Social Survey data easier and more efficient.”

“The General Social Survey is one of the most important data sets those researchers, teachers, students, journalists, and others have to understand changes in attitudes, opinions, and social norms in the U.S. over time.”

René Bautista

Director of the GSS and Principal Research Scientist

“The General Social Survey is one of the most important data sets those researchers, teachers, students, journalists, and others have to understand changes in attitudes, opinions, and social norms in the U.S. over time.”

The GSS is one of the most influential studies in the social sciences. Insights from the GSS have helped scholars, policymakers, and journalists understand how the characteristics, behaviors, and attitudes of the U.S. population have shifted over the past five decades. GSS data provide content for newspaper, magazine, and journal articles, as well as policy reports and recommendations. More than 32,500 journal articles, books, theses, and PhD dissertations are based on GSS data, and about 400,000 students use the GSS in their classes each year.

Data Explorer 2.0 lets users search survey data by question or variable, analyze data without the need for statistical software, quickly view key trends and view responses over time, export data, and save information for later.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the General Social Survey. NORC is working on a research project, events, conference presentations, and other offerings throughout the year to mark the anniversary. To learn more about the activities around the GSS’s 50th year, visit gss.norc.org beginning in April.


About the General Social Survey

The General Social Survey is one of the most influential studies in the Unites States that studies how Americans think and feel about such issues as national spending priorities, crime and punishment, intergroup relations, and confidence in institutions. In addition to informing countless news articles, GSS data have been the basis of more than 32,500 books, scholarly papers, and PhD dissertations over its 50-year history. It is used by more than 400,000 students in their classes each year. The General Social Survey is a project of NORC with principal funding provided by the National Science Foundation.

About NORC at the University of Chicago

NORC at the University of Chicago conducts research and analysis that decision-makers trust. As a nonpartisan research organization and a pioneer in measuring and understanding the world, we have studied almost every aspect of the human experience and every major news event for more than eight decades. Today, we partner with government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world to provide the objectivity and expertise necessary to inform the critical decisions facing society.

www.norc.org

Contact: For more information, please contact Eric Young at NORC at young-eric@norc.org or (703) 217-6814 (cell).