ASSDA - Australian Social Science Data Archive

Accessing Data

All visitors to the ASSDA Data Catalogue can browse and search the catalogue, view study and variable documentation (including frequencies) and download related material (questionnaires, codebooks, etc). Registered users can also analyse and visualise most data online and users who have completed the relevant undertaking form(s) can download entire studies or subsets of variables in a range of formats:

Step 1

Register online with ASSDA

Registration is free and confidential. Once the short form is completed an email will be sent with your username and password. Your login will allow you to analyse unrestricted datasets online (perform crosstabulations and regressions, create graphs and charts).

Step 2

Please note that you will need to provide an email address based at the institution you are applying from - commercial email addresses (eg. Gmail, Yahoo, Bigpond, etc.) will not be approved for downloads or for access to restricted data. To update your email address in your online registration go to Edit Details.

Either

Apply for download access to unrestricted data

To download unrestricted data (including subsets of variables) for offline data analysis (for example in SPSS, Stata or SAS formats) you will need to complete the general undertaking form:

ACSPRI General Undertaking Form - complete this if your institution belongs to ACSPRI
General Undertaking Form

If you are not affiliated with an ACSPRI institution a fee of $1,000 per dataset downloaded applies.

This form includes a request for information about your intended use of the data. In general, access to download data will only be approved for staff members of research organisations, students conducting higher degrees by research and other authorised research purposes.

Students are required to provide additional information, inlcuding contact details of their supervisor in order to be approved for download access (online analysis of unrestricted data is available to all registered users).

Or

Apply to access a restricted dataset

If the depositor of a dataset has specified that the data can only be supplied with their express permission, you will need to complete an Application to Access Restricted Data and return it to ASSDA. If you require access to the following surveys then complete the Application to access instead:
Application to access LSAY
Application to access ALSWH

ASSDA will then send this form to the depositor for approval. Applicants should therefore allow for a time delay whilst their application is being processed. When your access has been authorised, ASSDA will contact you and may also advise you to complete a special undertaking form.

To determine if a dataset is restricted, refer to the relevant record in the ASSDA Data Catalogue or see List of restricted access datasets.

Please note that if you are not affiliated with an ACSPRI member a fee of $1,000 per dataset accessed applies.

Am I a part of an ACSPRI institution?

ACSPRI has negotiated free access to ASSDA holdings for all its members. See ACSPRI Member Institutions and Representatives. Most Australian universites and a number of Government agencies and NGOs have ACSPRI membership.

	Yes, my organisation is a member	You are entitled to download any ASSDA study without charge. To gain access to all unrestricted studies, complete the ACSPRI General Undertaking Form. To gain access to a restricted study, complete the Application to Access Restricted Data Form.
	No, my organisation is not a member	You are required to apply for each dataset individually and will need to complete the General Undertaking Form, and pay a $1000 (Aus) per dataset administrative fee. For information on joining ACSPRI see Becoming a Member.
	No, my organisation is not a member, but I come from an overseas organisation	ASSDA is a member of the International Federation of Data Organizations for the Social Sciences and holds data exchange agreements with a number of different Data Archives around the globe. You can contact us or your local data service to find out whether your affiliation entitles you to free access to ASSDA holdings.