1. Cross-national attitudinal research
The International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) and the European Social Survey (ESS)

2. Today The value and challenges of cross-national research Key datasets
International Social Survey Programme
European Social Survey *

3. Why do cross-national research?
Huge challenges
Different survey traditions
Translation and equivalence
Huge dividends
Exploring ‘general’ theories (social trust)
Examining relationships (welfare regimes and attitudes)
Illuminating single-nation studies (what is high?)
“We don’t know who discovered water but we know it wasn’t the fish” (Marshall McLuhan)
Post-modernism, social capital, trust
Differing experiences of European integration, welfare, religion
What is high? What is low?

4. Sampling and fieldwork
ISSP
Annual since 1985
Sampling and fieldwork
Minimum 1000 achieved sample
Face to face or self-completion methods
Questionnaire
60 question module asked in agreed order
Agreed background questions
Data
Provided to central archive within 9 months of fieldwork end
Most recent dataset available is 2008 Religion
Available from
48 countries across world

5. ISSP member countries Argentina Australia Austria Belgium Bulgaria
Canada
Chile
China
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominican Republic
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Great Britain
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Latvia
Lithuania
Mexico
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Palestine
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Russia
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Turkey
Ukraine
United States
Uruguay
Venezuela
ISSP annual since 1985.
Now 48 countries spanning 5 continents

6. ISSP topics Year Topics 1985, 1990, 1996, 2006 Role of Government
1986, 2001
1987, 1992, 1999, 2009
1988, 1994, 2002, 2012
1989, 1997, 2005
1991, 1998, 2008
1993, 2000, 2010
1995, 2003
2004
2007
2011
Topics
Role of Government
Social Networks
Social Inequality
Family and Changing Gender Roles
Work Orientations
Religion
Environment
National Identity
Citizenship
Sport and leisure
Health
Two key strengths:
Great time series
Lots of variety in countries
ESS a newer entrant, but a more detailed one with higher quality standards

7. Sampling and fieldwork
ESS
Biennial since 2002
Sampling and fieldwork
Minimum effective sample size typically 1500
Only random sampling
Face to face only
Questionnaire
60-70 minute survey, including background questions
Extensive attention to translation
Quick data supply
2010 dataset just released (preliminary release)
Available from ess.nsd.uib.no (or main ESS site)
28 countries in round 5

8. ESS round 5 participants
Belgium
Germany
Portugal
Bulgaria
Greece
Slovakia
Croatia
Hungary
Russia
Cyprus
Ireland
Slovenia
Czech Republic
Israel
Spain
Denmark
Lithuania
Sweden
These are the confirmed list of participants for Round 5 of the survey. ‘Eurovision’ approach to defining Europe – extends as far as Israel.
Estonia
Netherlands
Switzerland
Finland
Norway
Ukraine
France
Poland
United Kingdom

9. Core topics included each round include:
ESS core modules
Core topics included each round include:
Trust in institutions
Political engagement
Social capital
Socio-political values, moral and social values
National, religious and ethnic identity
Well-being, health and security
Each round of ESS comprises 3 key elements;
Core modules – some of them shown here
Rotating modules
Demographics
Also a lot of contextual information.

10. ESS rotating modules 2002 Citizenship, involvement and democracy
Immigration
2004 Family, work and well-being
Health and health-care seeking
Economic morality
2006 Personal and social well-being
Timing of life
2008 Experiences and expressions of ageism
Welfare attitudes
2010 Work, family and well-being (repeat 2004)
Trust in criminal justice
2012 Personal and social well-being (repeat 2006)
Understandings and evaluations of democracy

11. ESS data 27,000 registered users with Archive Top 6 countries
Germany, UK, Slovenia, Belgium, Spain, US
Predominantly academic
52% students
25% faculty and research
9% doctoral research
Online analysis or data download
EduNet
Training resource – exploring theoretical questions using ESS data
Data from last year – not been able to update

12. Further sources of information
‘Measuring attitudes cross-nationally - Lessons from the European Social Survey (Jowell et al, 2007: Sage)
Online bibliographies at both ESS and ISSP websites

13. Thank you

14. Roger’s laws of cross-national research!
The larger the number of countries, the harder it is to maintain quality
The greater the diversity of countries, the harder it is to maintain quality
Whatever one does, many people will use the data merely as league tables
Big surprises in the data are usually errors
There is no such thing as true equivalence