WLS Data Conventions

Structure of WLS Longitudinal Data

This longitudinal data is presented as a rectangular file rather than a hierarchical file. Each record contains data for the entire family. There is only one ID for the public - IDUSER. IDUSER is the same for graduate respondents, their sibling and their spouse. Variables that are the same for the different respondents are named uniquely. See variable naming conventions for details.

Missing Values

The following missing value codes are used throughout 1957-2007 data. 1957-1994 data only include codes -1 through -4. For all years, clicking on "Inap" for value -2 expands the description to indicate which cases are inappropriate. Clicking on the expanded description reduces the label back to "Inap".

Note: From 1964-1977, if the respondent was not fielded or did not respond at
all to the survey, all variables for the respondent in that year of the survey
are coded -3 (originally labelled refused, not ascertained).
From 1992-2007, if the respondent was not fielded or did not respond to
the survey at all, all variables for the respondent in that year are coded system
missing (. for numeric variables and blank for string variables).
	

Variable Naming

If the variable name is a nmenonic, then data is from 1957-1977 surveys.
1992-2007 variable names consist of a combination of letters and numbers
that allow for convenient identification of the year of the survey, the
subject of the variable and the object of the variable.

1992-2007 variables that differ only by year of the survey, have identical
characters in columns 2-8 of the variable name.

Variable names for 1992-2007 are of the form:

	2 letters
  	3 numbers
  	2 or 3 letters

The first letter indicates the year of the survey:

	R     1992-93     Graduate Respondent's Phone Interview
	M     1992-93     Graduate Respondent's Mail Survey
	S     1993-94     Selected Sibling Respondent's Phone Interview
	N     1993-94     Selected Sibling Respondent's Mail Survey
	G     2003-2005   Graduate Respondent's Phone Interview
	I     2003-2005   Graduate Respondent's Mail Interview, 2007 Medicare Q
	A     2003-2005   Graduate Respondent Spouses's Phone Interview
        C     2004-2007   Selected Sibling Respondent's Phone Interview
        D     2004-2007   Selected Sibling Respondent's Mail Survey

The second letter of the variable names for 1992-2007 indicate the
subject of the variable.

	A     Flags and interview information
	B     Education
	C     Marital history and spouse's employment
	D     Children's roster
	E     Parents', household
	F     Employment
	G     Job characteristics
	H     Personality
	I     Cognition
	J     Selected child
	K     Selected sibling
	L     Religion
	M     Internet
	N     Psychological
	P     Income
	Q     Intertransfers
	R     Assets
	S     Health care
	T     Pensions
	U     Depression and alcohol
	V     Volunteer and Caregiving
	W     Mortality Closeout
	X     Health
	Y     End of life prep, end of life death
	Z     Social participation and behaviors
	      (including family violence)


The sixth and seventh letters of the variable names for 1992-2007 identify
the object of the variable.

	RE      Respondent to the survey
	SP      Spouse
	RP      Respondent and current spouse if married else just respondent
	KD      Children
	SK      Selected Child
	PA      Both parents
	FA      Father
	MA      Mother
	IF      Informant
	PI      Both in-laws
	FI      Father in-law
	MI      Mother in-law
	PB      Both parents and both parents-in-laws
	SS      Selected sibling of the respondent is dependent upon who is the
	        respondent for that wave of the data (i.e., the selected sibling
	        could be the original 1957 high school student if the respondent
	        is the selected sibling OR the selected sibling of the original
	        1957 high school student)
	SA-SO   Siblings in sibling roster
	HD      Head of household
	HH      Other household members
	HE      Entire household
	JS      Job history summary variables
	JA      1975 job aspirations for 1992
	J1      First job spell
	            1975 job or first job after 1975 if unemployed in 1975
	J2      Second job spell
	            First post-1975 job (or post-job after 1975 if unemployed in 1975)
	J3      Third job spell
	            Second post-1975 job
	J4      Fourth job spell
	            Next to last job
	JC      Current/last job
	            Could be a newly reported job or same job described in J1-J4
	JJ      Current/last job characteristics
	

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