EVS 2008 (ZA4800)

The fourth wave has a persistent focus on a broad range of values. Questions with respect to family, work, religious, and political and societal values are highly comparable across waves and regions. This longitudinal scope of the study makes it possible to explore trends in time. In total 46 countries/ regions were included. In each country, 1,500 persons were interviewed personally (face-to-face). A completely random sample was drawn. There is also an overview of participating countries in the several EVS waves provided.

Latest news on this wave

Due to data security reasons, the EVS 2008 is offered in two different versions:

EVS 2008 Integrated Dataset, ZA4800, v.5.0.0 (2022-06-08), doi:10.4232/1.13841.

For further information on data download, see Data Access.

Learn more

EVS 2008 Integrated Dataset (Restricted Use File), ZA4799, v.2.0.0 (2022-06-08), doi:10.4232/1.13840.

For further information on data download, see Data Access.

Learn more

Dataset versions of the EVS 2008 Integrated Dataset

Related to the current release of the EVS 2008, two approaches are combined: refined anonymization measures are applied to the data and appropriate ways of access to anonymized and sensitive data are implemented. As a result, the two versions of the EVS 2008 IDS are made available through different access ways:

EVS 2008 ZA4800 (SUF)
This dataset version contains de facto anonymized data and is accessible through the GESIS data catalog. In order to prevent the identification of single respondents, specific information is aggregated into coarse categories providing users with less detailed information on respondent's residence and occupation.

EVS 2008 ZA4799 (Restricted Use File)
This data file contains complete information, i.e. also data that could not be included in the SUF because of data protection concerns. Due to the sensitive nature of the data, its usage is subject to specific contractual regulations. The contract allowing for off-site access can be downloaded here.

Documentation related to the Integrated Dataset

Study description: Information on origin and content of data, version history and errata, patches fixing data problems, and direct access to the data.

Guidelines and Recommendations: Standards and recommendations designed by the EVS advisory groups for all EVS member countries.

Technical Report: Description of the project and data management, comprising the main project phases and regulations from data creation to publication of the outcomes.

Method Report: Summarized information on the Integrated Dataset and country-specific information on the national datasets.

Variable Report: Documentation of the Integrated Dataset with question texts of the English Master Questionnaire and frequency counts by country.

Master questionnaire: EVS basic questionnaire including Show cards.

Compare question texts in EVS 2008: gives information on translation procedure, peculiarities and problems.

The Common EVS/WVS Dictionary – EVS Trend provides an overview of all variables used in the five EVS waves and their correspondence in terms of comparability. Further, the EVS variable catalog in the GESIS Search contains the variable documentation and enables the search for variables and questions as well as their comparison.

Documentation related to the national datasets

The EVS 2008 Integrated Dataset always includes the last updated version of all national datasets of EVS wave 2008. Additional country-specific variables comprised in the field questionnaire of some countries are not available in the Integrated Dataset. The national datasets are only provided for replication purposes and the analysis of such additional country-specific variables.

Study descriptions (SD): Information on origin and content of data, version history and errata, patches fixing data problems.

Field questionnaires (FQ) in all languages fielded, including Show Cards.

Variable Reports [VR (EN)]: Documentation of the national datasets with question texts of the English master questionnaire and frequency counts.
Bilingual variable documentation [VR (BL)] facilitates a direct comparison of English master questions and original questions of field questionnaire. Show Cards from both English master question and country’s original question are included as well.
EVS 1981-2008 Method Overview: Summarized information for all participating countries on origin and content of data.

Country	Study-No.	Field work period	Sample size	SD	MR	FQ	VR	VR-BL
Albania	ZA4783	2008-07-10 to 2008-09-09	1534	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Albanian)
Armenia	ZA4784	2008-06-16 to 2008-09-19	1500	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Armenian)
Austria	ZA4754	2008-07-21 to 2008-10-22	1510	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/German)
Azerbaijan*	ZA4785	2008-07-11 to 2008-08-10	1505	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Azerbaijani) (EN/Russian)
Belarus	ZA4782	2008-06-11 to 2008-07-31	1500	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Russian)
Belgium	ZA4759	2009-04-30 to 2009-08-02	1509	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Dutch) (EN/French)
Bosnia-Herzegovina	ZA4786	2008-07-12 to 2008-07-31	1512	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Bosnian)
Bulgaria	ZA4774	2008-04-21 to 2008-06-15	1500	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Bulgarian)
Croatia	ZA4775	2008-04-31 to 2008-10-31	1525	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Croatian)
Cyprus	ZA4787	2008-10-25 to 2008-11-28	1000	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Greek)
Northern Cyprus	ZA4788	2008-10-28 to 2008-12-04	500	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Turkish)
Czech Republic	ZA4770	2008-05-05 to 2008-11-02	1821	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Czech)
Denmark	ZA4760	2008-04-01 to 2008-09-15	1507	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Danish)
Estonia	ZA4766	2008-07-01 to 2008-08-31	1518	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Estonian) (EN/Russian)
Finland	ZA4762	2009-07-09 to 2009-07-15	1134	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Finnish)
France	ZA4751	2008-05-07 to 2008-09-04	3071	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/French)
Georgia	ZA4789	2008-08-21 to 2008-09-30	1500	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Georgian) (EN/Russian)
Germany	ZA4753	2008-09-17 to 2009-02-10	2075	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/German)
Great Britain	ZA4752	2009-08-01 to 2010-03-10	1561	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/GB-English)
Greece	ZA4776	2008-09-12 to 2008-10-26	1500	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Greek)
Hungary	ZA4772	2008-11-26 to 2009-01-28	1513	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Hungarian)
Iceland	ZA4763	2009-07-15 to 2010-03-15	808	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Icelandic)
Ireland	ZA4765	2008-06-07 to 2008-08-31	1013	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/IE-English)
Italy	ZA4755	2009-10-02 to 2009-12-30	1519	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Italian)
Kosovo	ZA4790	2008-07-15 to 2008-10-13	1601	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Albanian) (EN/Serbian)
Latvia	ZA4767	2008-06-01 to 2008-10-31	1506	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Latvian) (EN/Russian)
Lithuania	ZA4768	2008-07-21 to 2008-09-14	1500	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Lithuanian)
Luxembourg	ZA4779	2008-05-03 to 2008-12-15	1610	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Luxemb.) (EN/German) (EN/French) (EN/Portuguese) (EN/Lu-English)
Republic of Macedonia	ZA4792	2008-07-03 to 2008-10-13	1500	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Macedonian) (EN/Albanian)
Malta	ZA4778	2008-06-16 to 2008-09-23	1500	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Maltese) (EN/MT-English)
Republic of Moldova	ZA4793	2008-07-02 to 2008-10-04	1551	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Moldovan) (EN/Russian)
Republic of Montenegro	ZA4794	2008-11-12 to 2008-12-08	1516	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Montenegrin)
Netherlands	ZA4758	2008-05-21 to 2008-10-31	1554	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Dutch)
Northern Ireland	ZA4764	2008-09-26 to 2008-10-23	500	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/NIR-English)
Norway	ZA4795	2008-04-07 to 2008-09-02	1090	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Norwegian)
Poland	ZA4769	2008-06-27 to 2008-09-28	1510	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Polish)
Portugal	ZA4757	2008-05-26 to 2008-08-31	1553	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Portuguese)
Romania	ZA4773	2008-04-24 to 2008-06-30	1489	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Romanian) (EN/Hungarian)
Russian Federation	ZA4777	2008-06-28 to 2008-07-26	1504	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Russian)
Serbia	ZA4796	2008-07-14 to 2008-07-31	1512	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Serbian)
Slovak Republic	ZA4771	2008-07-14 to 2008-08-29	1509	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Slovakian) (EN/Hungarian)
Slovenia	ZA4780	2008-03-27 to 2008-06-18	1366	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Slovenian)
Spain	ZA4756	2008-05-28 to 2008-07-15	1500	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Spanish)
Sweden	ZA4761	2009-09-25 to 2010-01-10	1187	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Swedish)
Switzerland	ZA4797	2008-05-08 to 2008-10-06	1271	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/German) (EN/French) (EN/Italian)
Turkey	ZA4791	2008-11-26 to 2009-03-01	2384	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Turkish)
Ukraine	ZA4781	2008-07-12 to 2008-10-09	1507	SD	MR	FQ	VR	(EN/Ukrainian) (EN/Russian)

*WARNING: The Azerbaijanian survey is dropped from the current version of the EVS 2008 IDS due to concerns about the data quality. For evaluation, data and documentation of the national dataset (Azerbaijan, ZA4785) can be downloaded from the GESIS data catalogue. Users who want to analyse the data are kindly asked to carefully check socio-demographic distributions (e.g. age, education, and marital status) indicating problems regarding sample design and fieldwork, respectively.