UK DATA ARCHIVE DOCUMENTATION


4619 - British General Election Study, 2001 : Cross-section Survey


Data Archive processing standards
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The data were processed to the UK Data Archive's 'A*' standard. This is 
the Archive's highest standard, and means that an extremely rigorous 
and comprehensive series of checks was carried out to ensure the 
quality of the data and documentation. Briefly, 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 comprehensible variable labels 
and all nominal (categorical) variables had comprehensible value 
labels. Where possible, either with reference to the documentation 
and/or in communication with the depositor, labels were accordingly 
edited or 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.


Conversion of data and documentation formats
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The depositor did not send a stand-alone cross-section data file. 
Instead, a data file containing waves 1 and 2 of the panel study was 
sent (prepostagg.sav). From this file, a post-election cross-section 
data file was extracted. 

Following discussion with the depositor, the following action was taken 
to create the cross-section data file (named xsectionagg.***):

(1).   From prepostagg.sav, only cases where POSTRESP=1 were kept.
(2).   Variables that did not relate to the post-election cross-section 
survey were deleted.

Since xsectionagg.*** was created post-deposit, there is no mention of 
such a file in the documentation.


Data and documentation problems
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New edition information
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Notes from data delivery and post-order corrections
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