Background Variables & Further Coding Standards

Standard Background Variables To Be Used Up To ISSP Module 2009 'Social Inequality'

Background variables are a set of mostly demographic variables for which no prescribed question formats exist, but which still have to be delivered as mandatory part of a national data set. For ISSP modules up to ISSP 2009, the definition of these variables does not go beyond providing a coding frame on the respective data contents, and on delivering documentation on the exact derivation a country has chosen to meet this coding frame (also see the required documentation materials under General Materials).
This version of the ISSP background variables was agreed upon at the 2001 ISSP meeting in Umeå. The background variables are compulsory except 'nat_ETHN'.

Standard Background Variables To Be Used For/Beginning With ISSP Module 2010 'Environment'

Beginning with ISSP module 2010 'Environment', more elaborate guidelines on coding and collecting background variables are in effect.
This revised version of the ISSP background variables, plus accompanying guidelines, were agreed upon at the 2009 ISSP meeting in Vienna. All background variables are compulsory, including 'nat_ETHN'.

Standard Background Variables To Be Used For/Beginning With ISSP Module 2011 'Health and Health Care'

Beginning with ISSP module 2011 'Health and Health Care', an update of the more elaborated guidelines on coding and collecting background variables are in effect.
This revised version of the ISSP background variables, plus accompanying guidelines, were agreed upon at the 2010 ISSP meeting in Lisbon. All background variables are compulsory, including 'nat_ETHN'.

 

ISCO88 Codes

ISCO88 is a scheme used for internationally comparable coding of occupations. ISCO is maintained by The International Labour Organisation, their official information on ISCO88 can be found here. ISSP rules currently prescribe that ISCO88 at it finest level of detail (four digit codes) is to be used for coding the respondent's occupation and that of their spouse. Specific modules may use ISCO88 for further variables.

  • For your convenience, we are offering a direct link to a PDF file with the full ISCO88 classification (36 KB).
  • Hands-on instructions for performing proper occupation coding from the textual data of open responses have kindly been provided by the Dutch ISSP colleague Harry Ganzeboom and can be downloaded here (127 KB). Most of the instructions are relevant to occupation coding in general, not only ISCO88, so you may also want to read this if you are coding to a national coding scheme first and transform that to ISCO88 in a separate step.

Codes for Identifying ISSP Countries/Samples

Abbreviations and codes used for country names accord to ISO 3611-1 starting with ISSP 2003 (short names) resp. 2006 (numeric codes). Some adaptations have to be made where ISSP members use sub-samples within national borders. (For ISSP modules from 1985 to 2005, a self developed scheme has been used.)

Reporting Response Rates

For modules from module 2006 and later, the ISSP has decided in 2004 that the AAPOR/WAPOR standards of reporting non-response numbers must be used. The new reporting scheme is also reflected in the Study Description Form found on the General Materials page.