What is ICPSR?

The Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) is an organization of member institutions working together to acquire and preserve social science data, to provide open and equitable access to these data, and to promote effective data use.

ICPSR is the world's largest archive of computer-readable social science data. In addition to archiving collections from disciplines such as sociology, political science, history, and economics, ICPSR has seven special emphases in gerontology, substance abuse and mental health, criminal justice, child care, health and medical care, education, and demography. 

While the ICPSR holdings include several time series and other types of aggregate data, the holdings consist mainly of raw data derived from surveys, censuses, and administrative records. These data were originally collected for specific research or administrative purposes. However, the data have research potential that outlives the original purposes for which they were collected. ICPSR preserves these valuable data resources and makes them publicly available for secondary analysis.

Campus Contact

Dr. Michael Lacy
Sociology Department
Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies
B248 Clark
(970) 491-6721
Michael.Lacy AT colostate.edu

Library Contacts

Jeff Bullington
Coordinator of College Liaisons
146 Morgan Library
970-491-4107
jeff.bullington AT colostate.edu

Cathy Cranston
Instruction Librarian / Associate Professor
140 Morgan Library
970-491-1906
cathy.cranston AT colostate.edu

Thank you to Sue Erickson at Vanderbilt University for giving us permission to use her ICPSR LibGuide as a template for this guide.