Catalogue guide - getting started
The ASSDA Data Catalogue allows users to search for, locate, browse, analyse, visualise and download data. There is no need for specialised software - data can be viewed using a web browser.
Browsing the catalogueSearching the catalogue
Downloading data
Conducting a crosstabulation
Weighting the data
Main features - toolbar guide
Browsing the catalogue
The catalogue is separated into a number of topic folders. Click on the 
sign next to a folder in the left frame to display its contents in
the right frame. Drill down to reach individual datasets. Clicking
on the dataset symbol 
for any survey will open further sub-folders: Metadata and Variable description.
The Metadata folder contains background information on a study, including a description of the study and links to related materials such as questionnaires, technical reports and codebooks.
The Variable Description folder contains all the variables created from responses to the survey questions. These are sometimes presented in variable groups, categorised under a given topic. Clicking on the variable in the left frame displays in the right frame the possible responses to this question together with the coded value for each response and the respondent totals and percentages (frequencies). The literal question text may also be available here.
Searching the catalogue
Use the Search button top left where you can conduct simple and advanced searches.
Downloading data
Use the download (disc) icon in the toolbar to download the entire dataset or a subset of cases and / or variables. A range of formats are available including SPSS and Stata. Downloading is only available to users who have registered online and who have also completed any relevant form(s). For more details see Accessing data.
Conducting a crosstabulation
For this example select the Australian Survey of Social Attitudes, 2007 in the left frame - this can be done by browsing through the folders (Sociology, Culture => Social Atttitudes, Values and Behaviour) or by conducting a Simple Search (e.g. in field Dataset name). Select the Tabulation button in the right frame to produce a blank table. Note: Tabulations are only available to registered users and users are prompted to log in at this point if they have not already done so.
Next, add (two or more) variables into either the rows or the columns. These are selected in a similar way as for viewing a single variable. Select Variable Description, Gender, v464 Which one of the following statements best describes the type of women you admire most? variable. Left-click on the variable. In the pop-up box that appears, select the Add to row option.
To produce a two-way cross-tabulation, add the variable v558 Gender from Variables, Personal Background using the Add to column option. Either row, column or total percentage can be selected.
Weighting the data
In general, frequencies and tables should be weighted. Weights are used to make the data representative of the sample from which the data were drawn and to correct for under- or over-representation of certain categories of respondents. Users should consult the associated documentation for further information on whether, and how, to correctly weight the data. To apply a weight, choose the weight icon on the toolbar, move the weight variable across to the Weighting variables selected box and click on OK.
Main features - toolbar guide
 Tables of one or more variables can be created |
 Tabulations can be displayed in graphical form - various bar and pie charts can be chosen |
 Use to clear any table/analysis |
 Use to weight the data |
 Use to subset - select the variable(s) to subset by in the left frame and use Add to subset |
 Users can compute and recode their own user defined variables |
 Datasets, including subsets by case and/or variable, can be downloaded in several different formats |
 Link to online codebook |
 Tables can be exported straight into an Excel spreadsheet |
 Export as PDF is available for tables and charts |
 Use to print tables and graphs |
 Use to bookmark a dataset, variable, analysis or graph |
 Some datasets include a Mapping variables folder. If a map variable is added to a cross-tabulation, information will be displayed on a map of Australia. |
 Context-sensitive help is available at any time |
Based with permission on the guide: Exploring data online using the ESDS Nesstar Catalogue, produced by UK Data Archive for Economic and Social Data Service, Copyright University of Essex.
