VAR VERSION NES VERSION NUMBER

VAR VERSION   NES VERSION NUMBER
              COLUMNS 1    - 2
              NUMERIC
              NO MISSING DATA CODES

      Release of this dataset constitutes release of the following
      components:

      1) DATA      - ASCII data file; SAS, SPSS transport (portable) files
      2) CODEBOOK  - ASCII intro, var documentation, appendix files
      3) .SAS/.SPS - data definition files (i.e. program/syntax files)
                     for edited use with ASCII data

      Because any one of these components may be revised for correction
      without revision to other components, each component is assigned an
      independent version number whenever revision is made to that component
      for release.  Variable  VVERSION  (columns 1-2 in the raw data file)
      records the version number of the "data" component, unrelated to
      the version number of the codebook files or of the SAS/SPSS data
      definition files.

      In general, the recorded version number that appears within a file
      is limited to documenting only the component to which the file belongs.
      The version number of a codebook file (including this file) appears
      in the first line of the file; the version number of a SAS/SPSS data
      definition file appears in the 1st line comment.  In data files
      (1 above), the variable VVERSION is always first.

      Note:  Files which together comprise a component are never released
      separately; even when only 1 file within a component is actually
      revised, all the files constituting that component are assigned the
      same, new version number.

      SPECIAL NOTE FOR THE CUMULATIVE DATA FILE:  Addition of data from
      the latest NES time-series study to existing Cumulative Data File
      data results in a new dataset rather than a new 'version' of existing
      component files.  The variable VDSETNO (see next variable) is revised
      each time the range of NES study years integrated into the Cumulative
      Data File is incremented.   Variable VVERSION tracks changes made to
      component files from a Cumulative Data File dataset covering a
      specific range of years.

      For more information about releases of specific versions of
      dataset component files, see the National Election Studies
      Web site at  http://www.umich.edu/~nes.


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