Accessing ICPSR datasets at AU

ICPSR stands for Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research - an international consortium of more than 750 academic institutions and research organizations (and one of the world's largest and oldest social science data archives), of which American University is an institutional member. Thereby, AU faculty, students, and staff can find data and data-related publications, deposit their own research data, and use data in teaching and learning - and if needing assistance with any of that, contact AU's Official Representative (OR) or Designated Representative (DR) to ICPSR. CTRL also offers an Introduction to ICPSR.

In order to download datasets from ICPSR, or analyze data online where available, AU users must set up an ICPSR account and then log into it - both by clicking on Log In in the upper right corner of most ICPSR web pages -  and agree to ICPSR's terms of use whenever prompted. Setting up an individual ICPSR account is required for data access, in addition to "proving" affiliation with AU (as the ICPSR member institution) by connecting to ICPSR from an AU IP-address for account setup. The initial account setup must therefore occur either:

1. while connected to the AU campus (eagle-secure wireless, or wired) network, or
2. while connected to the AU VPN, or 
3. via the ICPSR entry on the library's list of databases.

After that initial account setup, the account will the authorized for accessing data from ICPSR for up to 1/2 year, even if the login occurs from outside of the AU IP address range. After that time period, however, the account has to be re-authenticated by one of the three methods described above. (These procedures are subject to change by ICPSR.)

Connecting to and downloading datasets from ICPSR is recommended only via the first two of those three connection methods - the third one, which relies on OpenAthens for proxying, may cause technical difficulties for such use. AU users who expect to need to download ICPSR data while away from campus are therefore urged to set up their AU VPN connection before leaving.

If you're navigating the complexities of statistical software or analysis, here are some areas where you might need assistance:

• Selecting or Using Statistical Software: Whether you're unsure about which software to use or need guidance on how to effectively utilize it for your research.

• Choosing Appropriate Methodologies: Identifying the right methodologies for your analyses based on your specific data and research questions can be challenging. Get help to ensure your approach is sound.

• Interpreting or Selecting Outputs: Understanding the results of your statistical analyses and choosing the most relevant outputs can be crucial for your research findings.

Depending on your role at AU, you have several support options for where to get assistance:

• AU Faculty:

  • Contact the  Center for Teaching, Research and Learning (CTRL) for personalized consultations. CTRL can help with everything from software selection to advanced methodological support.

• AU Students:

  • For software-specific questions or issues, reach out to Statistical Software Support.
  • If you need more in-depth assistance with your statistical analyses, the Statistical Consulting Center offers expert guidance on methodologies, data interpretation, and more.

For further support, check with the appropriate contact within your academic unit to explore additional resources and services available to you.