Latin American Public Opinion Project: Technical Information
Library Data Services
Library Data Services caters to researchers interested in working with data, mapping, texts, visualization, and technology. Many of these services are available online. Davis Library Data Services, located on the second floor of Davis Library, offers:
- A computing lab with specialized software for GIS and data visualization & analysis.
- Walk-in assistance provided by knowledgeable student consultants during set hours.
- Consultations with specialists for more in-depth inquiries (by appointment).
- Spaces for collaboration and presentation, complete with white boards and external displays.
- Technology short courses and programs that promote digital scholarship.
Comparability Across LAPOP Files
AmericasBarometer Surveys vs. Others in LAPOP
The AmericasBarometer surveys (those conducted in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2012) have a common "core" questionnaire for each year's surveys. Each "wave" of the survey (meaning 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, or 2012) has a specific theme, that is, sets of questions that differ from year to year. But each wave has many of the same questions each time, so that they are comparable across years and countries.
A sub-directory containing the AmericasBarometer Core Questionnaires may be found on the download site (see Download Instructions for that link).
Other LAPOP Surveys
Outside of the AmericasBarometer surveys, a number of the core items (e.g., system support, tolerance) are identical or very close, all the way back to 1978 in Costa Rica. However, pre-1990, the samples were often not national in scope, so the question could be the same, but the sample different. If you have questions about a specific survey or item, please contact LAPOP directly (see link below).
U.S. and Canada
Americans and Canadians are polled to enable comparisons of their views about their own political systems with those of Latin Americans.
File Types
LAPOP provided only one year's data with all countries merged, 2012. This is provided in the Merged directory. The usual presentation is an individual country for an individual year, e.g., 2006 Bolivia.
Each base directory will include:
- the data file(s) in SPSS format (.sav) and/or Stata format (.dta)--format is not consistent for all files;
- pdf file(s) of the questionnaire(s); and
- pdf file(s) of technical information (please note, these are very general, not codebooks).
Language
Most questionnaires are in Spanish or the local language, of course. Some surveys will include a second questionnaire in English but not all. Technical documentation is all in English.
Publications Based on LAPOP Surveys
While the documentation often cites publications in which survey results are summarized, the University Libraries is not guaranteed to own these publications.
- Alternatively, users may request the Library purchase such publications.Purchase is dependent on availability of the material (e.g., older publications may no longer be available for purchase) and availability of funds.
Contact LAPOP
