NOTES ON CONFIDENTIAL VARIABLES

     Starting with the 1986 Election Study, NES has released occupation code
variables in somewhat less detail than in years past.  The full release of
this dataset will includes a two-digit code with 71 categories corresponding
to Census Bureau occupational groupings.  Those who need the full occupation
code for their research should contact the NES project staff for information
about the conditions under which access may be provided.  Similarly, the
National Election Studies have not included information for census tracts 
or minor civil divisions since 1978.  Beginning this year, we have omitted
county name.  This new procedure was implemented to protect the anonymity of
respondents living in sparsely populated counties.  Permission to use the more
detailed geographic information for scholarly research may be obtained from
the Board of Overseers.  More information about this is available from NES 
project staff. Coding of the new religious denomination variable is in some 
cases based on an alphabetic "other, please specify" variable.  This variable
is restricted for reasons of confidentiality, but access may be provided to
legitimate scholars under established NES procedures.     


OPEN-ENDED MATERIALS  

     Traditionally, the National Election Studies have contained several
minutes of open-ended responses (for example, the candidate likes and
dislikes).  These questions are put into Master Codes by the SRC coding
section.  Other scholars have developed alternative or supplemental coding
schemes for the questions (for example, the levels of conceptualization,
released as ICPSR 8151).  The Board of Overseers wishes to encourage these
efforts but in ways which respect the NES and SRC obligation to protect the
privacy and anonymity of respondents.  Circumstances under which individuals
may have access to transcribed versions of these questions have been worked
out and those interested should contact the NES project staff for further
details.