Services offered

Users are provided with dedicated working places within ZA EUROLAB. These will allow access to data resources and computer facilities of the GESIS-ZA subject to access regulations under data protection and statistical confidentiality. 

Visitors will be introduced to the GESIS-ZA information systems about studies (detailed description of data collections) and variables (wording of questionnaire or measurement instrument – ZA Qbase) to identify relevant data files, as well as related literature. Up to date information on the data holdings is stored in German. An English translation of intensively used collections and of the GESIS-ZA guide to resources is available. While English is assumed to be the working standard, language competence of research staff includes French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish and Danish in addition to German. The GESIS-ZA houses internationally known methods experts in data, content, document and historical data analysis. However, please note that no statistical training can be given outside GESIS-ZA spring or autumn seminars, i.e. it is being assumed that the researcher is familiar with statistical packages he/she wants to apply in his/her research.

The GESIS-ZA has a long tradition in international comparative research. It hosts guest professors from abroad (e.g. Europe, USA, South America, China and Japan) and supports their research from planning new surveys to secondary analysis of available data. Highly skilled experts in data management and analysis may be consulted to advice in areas ranging from selection of appropriate data to advanced statistical analysis. The GESIS-ZA librarian helps in locating relevant literature from the GESIS-ZA special library on empirical research and the central university library which is the specialised library for economics and social sciences in Germany.

Data search processes are supported by full-text information systems on data set and variable level. Modern PC LANs, UNIX workstations and an in-house IBM mainframe support even complex data analyses with comprehensive statistical software (e.g. SPSS) and data management libraries. High speed scanners and copying machines are office standards.

For visitors there are special arrangements with a number of hotels in Cologne at preferential university rates. To a certain extent, the GESIS-ZA can lean on a pool of private apartments for long term visitors. University sports facilities and a university hospital for medical care are in walking distance, likewise the university restaurant (Mensa) and shopping facilities.