Dean Baker asked me to forward this to pen-l. It's also attached. August 15, 2003
CEPR’s AccesSIPP Project Puts Key Longitudinal Dataset into User-Friendly Format The Center for Economic and Policy Research is pleased to announce the completion of the first stage of its AccesSIPP project, an initiative that puts the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) into a readily-accessible, user-friendly format and makes it available on their website. Researchers can now access uniform data from the 1992, 1993, 1996, and 2001 SIPP panels at http://www.cepr.net/SIPP/data_overview.htm <http://www.cepr.net/SIPP/SIPP_page.htm> . Greater availability of SIPP data will encourage more researchers to use it, benefiting advocates and policy-makers nationwide. The Census Bureau’s Survey of Income and Program Participation is a large dataset that tracks changes in the U.S. labor market. Whereas the CPS (Current Population Survey) is relatively static, the SIPP is longitudinal and tracks people’s experiences over time. This provides opportunities for examining new questions, such as how long people stay in one job or how often families go without health insurance coverage over a two-year period. However, when the U.S. Census releases the SIPP data, it is not easy for researchers to use in a timely manner and it takes substantial effort to make variables consistent across time. Thanks to a generous grant from the Rockefeller Foundation, CEPR has created a Uniform Data File with consistent variables from the SIPP panels beginning in 1992. This data is in a user-friendly format, and is now available, free of charge, on its website. Visitors to the AccesSIPP website will be able to either request a CD rom with the SIPP data in their preferred format (Stata, SPSS, SAS or any other commonly available format) or download programs to extract the SIPP data, convert it into Stata format, and clean the data so as to generate files with uniform variables across SIPP panels. The new AccesSIPP materials are copylefted, meaning that they will remain accessible to the public at no cost even as complementary data and program files are added. In addition, CEPR will release periodic Data Briefs utilizing AccesSIPP programs. AccesSIPP will give researchers the tools necessary to examine how labor market conditions change for individuals over time and across the income distribution. The resulting analyses will enhance policy debates surrounding issues crucial to working Americans. The AccesSIPP files are available at: http://www.cepr.net/SIPP/data_overview.htm <http://www.cepr.net/homeownership_in_a_bubble.htm> . Please feel free to contact economist Heather Boushey ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) or webmaster Jefferson Beck ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) with questions or feedback. The Center for Economic and Policy Research is an independent, nonpartisan think tank that was established to promote democratic debate on the most important economic and social issues that affect people's lives. 1621 Connecticut Ave., NW Suite 500 Washington, DC 20009 Tel: 202-293-5380 | Fax: 202-588-1356 | www.cepr.net | [EMAIL PROTECTED]
sippintro1.doc
Description: sippintro1.doc
