 . . . Fall 1997
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What Happens to the Data? |
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Housed at ISR is the country's largest archive of social science survey data, containing information on everything from penal code citations in American felony courts to the US Bureau of the Census current population surveys. Over 350 non-profit institutions from 16 countries are dues-paying members of the ISR unit that cleans, archives and disseminates data. The Inter-University Consortium for Political and Science Research also sells data to corporations, political candidates, policy makers and interested members of the public who have the equipment and know-how to access its holdings. But by the time anyone sees it, the stuff you told that nice interviewer about your sex life, your drug habits, your health and your income can never be connected to you. All direct identifiers are removed. This includes any mention of names, phone numbers, Social Security numbers or addresses. | |
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