Description of GSS:
The following description of the General Social Survey appears on the ICPSR Web site:
"The General Social Surveys (GSS) are designed as part of a program of social indicator research, replicating questionnaire items and wording in order to facilitate time-trend studies. This collection is a cumulative dataset that merges all data collected as part of the General Social Surveys from 1972 to the present. Among the new items added for the 2002 surveys are topical modules on prejudice, doctors and patients, quality of working life, employee compensation, altruism, adult transitions, and mental health. Also included are crossnational modules, conducted under the aegis of the international Social Survey Program (ISSP), on the role of government, social support and equality, family and gender, national identity, religion, the environment, and work."
The Department of Sociology maintains SPSS and STATA versions of all GSS data sets (each year and all years combined). They are available on the Department LAN by following the path G:\ALL\GSS. The combined data set is large. To use it in STATA, set mem 250m before issuing a "use" command. Alternatively, merge data sets from only the specific years that you need using procedures outlined in the file "Stata merge and append," available under the instructions section of the Data Resources home page.
Link to the ICPSR Web description of the combined data set
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/03728.xml
