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SOEP Services

In addition to making SOEP survey data available to researchers worldwide, we also offer a range of support services. Our workshops at universities give you an introduction to the analysis of SOEP data. The tools in our “Getting Started” package simplify your work with the data. Our SOEP-in-Residence program allows you to work with SOEP data on site at DIW Berlin in close contact with experts from the SOEP team. Our SOEP user conferences offer you an opportunity to present your research, and our documentation provides information on publications based on SOEP data.

Data Documentation and Data Access

Here we provide you with information about the data collected in the individual SOEP studies, and tell you how to get access to the data.

RDC-SOEP Homepage

SOEP as Reference Data

SOEP can be used as a reference dataset for the analysis of data that are not representative of the larger population. We would be happy to advise you in using the SOEP as reference data or in conducting your own longitudinal study.

For more information, see SOEP as Reference Data

Reanalysis-Archive

The SOEP provides survey data for replication and reuse. We offer researchers the possibility to archive the syntax they have used in data preparation and analysis and to make it available for downloading from our website.

For more information, see Reanalysis of Published Findings.

SOEPcampus-Workshops at your university

SOEPcampus workshops introduce beginning data users to the preparation and analysis of SOEP survey data. Normally lasting two days, the workshops start with an overview of the topics of the SOEP survey, the structure of the dataset, and technical details of data collection. The workshop includes several hands-on sessions in which participants learn how to prepare datasets for analysis from the original datasets. Workshops also cover the use of weighting variables and intergenerational analysis. Upon request, we also offer more specialized course modules on subjects including methods of longitudinal data analysis and specific research topics.

If you are interested in hosting a SOEPcampus workshop at your institution, please contact Sandra Bohmann.

For more information on locations and dates of upcoming workshops, see our schedule of SOEPcampus workshops

Data for Use in the College Classroom

  1. The SOEP provides a simple Stata practice dataset for use in teaching data analysis in university contexts. The dataset is provided in a panel format and can be downloaded free of charge.
  2. As a registered SOEP data user, you can use our comprehensive teaching dataset in your courses.

Introductory Materials on the SOEP

Introduction to the SOEP (presentation)

We want to make it as easy as possible for you to work with the SOEP data. Our Getting Started package is designed both for beginners and for experienced data users who need answers to specific questions. Getting Started also helps you to find out if the SOEP data fit your research topic.

For more, see Getting Started.

Our SOEP-in-Residence guest program allows visiting researchers to work with sensitive, small-scale regional datasets that can only be accessed from secure computers located at the SOEP Research Data Center. The program also welcomes SOEP data users who would like support from experts at DIW Berlin in working on research projects with the SOEP data. Special guest programs are available for early-career researchers and student interns.

For more information on SOEP-in-Residence, click here.

We document publications that are either based on SOEP data or that use SOEP data for comparison. Our database paneldata.org allows you to search for publications using SOEP-Core and SOEP-IS data separately.

If you are already working with SOEP data, we invite you to publish your findings in our series SOEPpapers

Contact: soeppapers@diw.de

The International SOEP User Conference offers researchers worldwide an opportunity to present their research based on SOEP data. The conference is held in Berlin every two years. Researchers who use either the SOEP data or the SOEP part of the Cross-National Equivalent File (CNEF) are invited to apply.

The next International SOEP User Conference is set to take place in 2024. For information on the last conferences, see SOEP User Conference.

SOEPhotline

SOEPhotline

Philipp Kaminsky, and Antonia Meier
User support and contract management for the Research Data Center of the SOEP in the German Socio-Economic Panel study Department

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