ARCHIVE DOCUMENTATION STUDY NO: 4028 STUDY TITLE: British Election Panel Study, 1997-2001 (Waves 1-8: 1997-2001) Data Archive processing standards --------------------------------- The data were processed to the UK Data Archive's 'A' standard. A rigorous and comprehensive series of checks was carried out to ensure the quality of the data and documentation. The most important procedures were as follows. Firstly, checks were made that the number of cases and variables matched the depositor's records. Secondly, checks were made that all variables had variable labels and all nominal (categorical) variables had value labels. Where possible, either with reference to the documentation and/or in communication with the depositor, absent labels were created. Thirdly, logical checks were performed to ensure that nominal (categorical) variables had values within the range defined (either by value labels or in the depositor's documentation). Lastly, any data or documentation that breached confidentiality rules were altered or suppressed to preserve anonymity. All notable and/or outstanding problems discovered are detailed under the 'Data and documentation problems' heading below. Data & Documentation Information/Problems ----------------------------------------- Data ---- There are two sets of weights: one for all respondents and one for electors only. There are also different weights for Britain as a whole and for Scotland. The weighting variables and resulting sample sizes for Britain are as follows: WEIGHTs = WTALLGB (all respondents) and WTERGB (electors only). The equivalent weights for the Scottish sample only are called WTALLSC and WTERSC. The dataset includes all respondents to wave 1 (whether or not they have been issued at subsequent waves). Variable names from the original BGES cross-section have been amended to end in the suffix '97'. Variable names from wave 2 end in the suffix '97r', variables from wave 3 end in '98', variables from wave 4 end in '99', variables from wave 5 end in '00', variables from wave 6 end in '0T', variables from wave 7 end in '1T', variables from wave 8 end in '01'. Code -8 signifies that the respondent did not take part in a particular wave. Use the variables Wave1 - Wave8 and Waves to select the cases you want. Variable name changes since the previous edition: ------------------------------------------------- SPOINT97 to AREA97 LOCAUT97 to CENSCD97 INTSEX97 to CSESA97 ISSPANO to PANO ISSCONST to NEWPARL ISSCONSN to NEWPARLN ISSCC to CENSUSCC ISSCCNAM to CCNAME ISSDC to CENSUSDC ISSDCNAM to DCNAME ISSWARD to WARD ISSWARDN to WARDNAME O96PANO to PANOO96 O96CONST to NEWPAO96 O96CONSN to NEWPNO96 O96CC to CENCCO96 O96CCNAM to CCNAMO96 O96DC to CENDCO96 O96DCNAM to DCNAMO96 O96WARD to WARDO96 O96WARDN to WARDNO96 OTHPANO to PANOOTH OTHCONST to NEWPAOTH OTHCONSN to NEWPNOTH OTHCC to OTHCC OTHCCNAM to CCNAMOTH OTHDC to CENDCOTH OTHDCNAM to DCNAMOTH OTHWARD to WARDOTH OTHWARDN to WARDNOTH The following postcode variables, previously in the data, are not included in this edition of the study: ISSPC Postcode ISSUED ADDRESS O96PC Postcode OCT96 ADDRESS OTHPC Postcode "OTHER" ADDRESS Documentation ------------- A Technical Report is planned for the whole panel at the end of 2002. Documentation for Waves 1-8 is available with this study. Further waves of the study were originally planned until 2002, but as the General Election was held in 2001, the study ended there. New Edition Information ----------------------- For the fourth edition of the study (July 2002), data and documentation for Waves 6, 7 and 8 were added to the original dataset (conducted in Autumn 2000, May 2001 and Summer 2001).