The CRISP-NLSCY Files

Dr. J. Douglas Willms and his staff at the Canadian Research Institute for Social Policy (CRISP) at the University of New Brunswick (Fredericton Campus) have developed a set of SPSS data and accompanying syntax files (hereafter known as The Files) for use by researchers interested in using Statistics Canada's National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) databases. The Files are intended to help researchers become more efficient in their research with large databases, by providing a framework that makes analyses of the NLSCY data more straightforward.

The SPSS dataset components of The Files are a reconfiguration of existing NLSCY datasets, for which there are currently four available cycles at the release of this version (Cycle 1 -1994/95, Cycle 2 – 1996/97, Cycle 3 – 1998/99 and Cycle 4 – 2000/01). In addition to reorganizing the existing NLSCY datasets into a user-friendly format, The Files provide users with variables, scales and measures that were used by Dr. Willms in the analyses for his published book Vulnerable Children: Findings from Canada's National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth. In using The Files, researchers are able to access variables, scales, and measures from both the original set of variables provided by Statistics Canada as well as a set of variables created by researchers at CRISP for specific analyses and research projects (CRISP Variables). These added variables are provided to users in an attempt to minimize the redundancy in variable creation among users running similar analyses and also to enable researchers to utilize the knowledge and expertise of seasoned researchers' analysis techniques. In this way, hours or even days of time are saved and the researcher can carry on with their analyses and utilize the richness of the NLSCY data to its fullest potential. Even if users have no interest in using the variables created by CRISP staff, all NLSCY researchers can benefit from The Files since they can forego merging the original component files (i.e. Primary, Secondary, Custody, etc.) together and the data-cleaning and manipulation procedures that are necessary to do so accurately.

The SPSS syntax components of The Files are provided to users as a means of documentation of the CRISP Variables. Users familiar with SPSS syntax can use these files to understand how the CRISP variables were created or, for more advanced users, to create similar variables using other datasets.

The Files are a set of SPSS data (.sav) and syntax (.sps) files, as well as a number of instructional and documentation files. The V1.0 CRISP-NLSCY Files folder contains two subfolders, ‘Data’ and ‘Syntaxes and Documentation’, as well as a .pdf document, ‘The Files User’s Guide.pdf’.

Data

This folder contains four SPSS data (.sav) files: ALL_CYCLE1.sav, ALL_CYCLE2.sav, ALL_CYCLE3.sav and ALL_CYCLE4.sav. These files each contain the cycle-specific NLSCY component data provided by Statistics Canada, plus a set of additional CRISP variables. For example, ALL_CYCLE1.sav contains the primary, secondary, self-complete and custody files for Cycle 1 of the NLSCY, as well as a collection of NLSCY Cycle 1 variables created by CRISP staff.

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Syntaxes and Documentation

This folder contains several subfolders, all but one of which contain the syntaxes (.sps files) used to create the CRISP variables found in the datasets described above. The exception, ‘Original StatCan? Documentation’, contains all available documentation on the NLSCY (i.e. Codebooks, User’s Guides, Survey Instruments, etc.) issued by Statistics Canada. The folders containing the syntaxes are labeled according to the variable or variable set their syntaxes refer to, and each contains four syntaxes, one for each NLSCY survey cycle.

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The Files User’s Guide.pdf

This document is the main source of reference for users using The Files. It contains information on the structure and preparation of The Files as well as instructions on how and why to use them effectively.

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The SPSS data components of The Files should be treated like any other dataset housed in an RDC; analyses done on this data should be submitted for disclosure request before being allowed to leave the RDC as the contents of The Files datasets are from the protected NLSCY files. The SPSS syntax components of The Files are free to leave the RDC as is The Files User’s Guide.pdf.

Updated versions of The Files will be distributed to all RDCs at regular intervals. It will be the RDC analysts’ responsibility to update the appropriate folder on their RDC network; users will be advised and instructed about updates directly from CRISP.

Most current approved users are members of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research’s (CIAR) New Investigators Network (NIN), established in 2003 as a long-term group of young research leaders in the area of human development, and to promote research based on the NLSCY. In order to gain access to The Files, these users were required to contact CRISP and agree to a series of rules and regulations governing their use of The Files. These users, and all others approved in the future, are approved for access to The Files in any of the RDCs across the country.

Subsequent to the release of The Files, potential users interested in gaining access to The Files should be advised to contact CRISP via email (CRISPFILES@unb.ca) indicating their name, affiliation and a general description of their need for access to The Files. CRISP will continue to control official permission and handle the necessary procedures for potential users to gain access to The Files and will notify RDC analysts of additions and modifications to the list of approved users. Individual RDC analysts will be responsible for ensuring that only approved users have access to The Files within their RDC.

For more information about the CRISP-NLSCY Files, please feel free to contact the Canadian Research Institute for Social Policy (CRISP) at the University of New Brunswick via email at CRISPFILES@unb.ca.