National Science Foundation Surveys of Public Attitudes Toward and Understanding of Science and Technology, 1979-2001 : [United States] / Jon D. Miller, Linda Kimmel, ORC Macro.

Format:

Datafile

Contributor:

Miller, Jon D., 1941-

Kimmel, Linda.

ORC Macro.

Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research.

Series:

ICPSR (Series) ; 4029.

ICPSR ; 4029

Language:

English

Genre:

Academic theses.

Physical Description:

1 online resource.

Edition:

2006-01-18.

Place of Publication:

Ann Arbor, Mich. : Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2005.

System Details:

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

data file

Summary:

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Surveys of Public Attitudes monitored the general public's attitudes toward and interest in science and technology. In addition, the survey assessed levels of literacy and understanding of scientific and environmental concepts and constructs, how scientific knowledge and information were acquired, attentiveness to public policy issues, and computer access and usage. Since 1979, the survey was administered at regular intervals (occurring every two or three years), producing 11 cross-sectional surveys through 2001. Data for Part 1 (Survey of Public Attitudes Multiple Wave Data) were comprised of the survey questionnaire items asked most often throughout the 22-year survey series and account for approximately 70 percent of the original questions asked. Data for Part 2, General Social Survey Subsample Data, combine the 1983-1999 Survey of Public Attitudes data with a subsample from the 2002 General Social Survey (GSS) (GENERAL SOCIAL SURVEYS, 1972-2002: [CUMULATIVE FILE] [ICPSR 3728]) and focus solely on levels of education and computer access and usage. Variables for Part 1 include the respondents' interest in new scientific or medical discoveries and inventions, space exploration, military and defense policies, whether they voted in a recent election, if they had ever contacted an elected or public official about topics regarding science, energy, defense, civil rights, foreign policy, or general economics, and how they felt about government spending on scientific research. Respondents were asked how they received information concerning science or news (e.g., via newspapers, magazines, or television), what types of television programming they watched, and what kind of magazines they read. Respondents were asked a series of questions to assess their understanding of scientific concepts like DNA, probability, and experimental methods.... Cf.: http://dx.doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR04029

Contents:

Part 1: Survey of Public Attitudes Multiple Wave Data; Part 2: General Social Survey Subsample Data

Notes:

Title from ICPSR DDI metadata of 2006-07-25.

Start: 1979; and end: 2001.

OCLC:

70890177

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.