GSS: General Social Survey Competition 2022/2024

The General Social Survey (GSS) provides basic information on the changing attitudes and behaviors of the American population over the past 50-years. These data are used widely to examine the complex dynamics of social change over time, and are central to our understanding of the evolution of US society. The GSS also provides data allowing comparisons with other countries through the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP).

In this project, the GSS/ISSP surveys are continued into the 2022 and 2024 rounds. The research plan has three primary goals. Aim 1: Enhance the GSS as a platform for scientific discovery by soliciting and developing new content.

The GSS/ISSP data enable systematic and theory-driven empirical research on social change by furnishing both a rich set of stable measures over time and new content that illuminates new research issues. Aim 2: Innovate to continue collecting data of the highest quality as the survey environment changes. As response rates continue to fall for traditional survey modes, NORC is evaluating a new mixed-mode design in 2022 and 2024.

Such a design may allow generation of an even larger realized sample while maintaining high standards for quality. Aim 3: Expand dissemination and use of the GSS/ISSP data. The GSS/ISSP project is already one of “60 discoveries or advances that NSF believes have led to a large impact or influence on every American’s life,” and further expanding access to the data beyond the social science research community amplifies its impacts.

In this project, the reach of the data is expanded both through updated websites and exploration tools and through increased outreach to students and other users in STEM fields.

Several approaches are used to generate new content for the 2024 GSS, including soliciting sponsored modules from the research community, conducting a module competition, using the GSS as a platform for collection of follow-up panel data, and adding content to the GSS through linkage to other data sources. A cost-effective GSS web-based platform is made available for researchers to sponsor follow-up survey modules.

The primary mode of data collection remains face-to-face interviews in 2022/24 (unless pandemic restrictions are still in effect), however, web-based data collection continues to be explored to ensure that the GSS remains at the forefront of social science research. In each cycle in 2022 and 2024, 3,500 completed cases are targeted (which exceeds the original required minimum of 2,500 per data collection year, and represents a 40% increase).

This larger sample size yields more cases across sub-populations. In addition, the GSS provides supplementary data in 2022 derived from NORC’s probability panel (AmeriSpeak) on an experimental basis.. The GSS commitment to open science is maintained through the prompt release of public use data, continued support of user technical assistance and GSS use in the classroom, and the development of strategies for reaching a more diverse set of users.

Data dissemination is enhanced through a substantial upgrade to the Data Explorer, the primary data access tool for the GSS. This project is supported by the Sociology Program in SBE/SES and by the IUSE Program in EHR/DUE.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.