Skip to content

Rde documentation #85

New issue

Have a question about this project? Sign up for a free GitHub account to open an issue and contact its maintainers and the community.

Sign up for GitHub

By clicking “Sign up for GitHub”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy statement. We’ll occasionally send you account related emails.

Already on GitHub? Sign in to your account

Merged
shallcro merged 2 commits into from
May 12, 2026
Merged

Rde documentation #85

Show file tree
Hide file tree
Changes from all commits
Commits
Show all changes
2 commits
Select commit Hold shift + click to select a range
05bcb78
fixed link generation
shallcro May 12, 2026
dd671a2
Generated new copy of schema in markdown
shallcro May 12, 2026
File filter

Filter by extension

Filter by extension
Conversations
Failed to load comments.
Loading
Jump to
Jump to file
Failed to load files.
Loading
Diff view
Diff view
66 changes: 23 additions & 43 deletions markdown/icpsr_legacy_schema.md
View file
Open in desktop
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
# ICPSR Legacy Metadata Schema

Last updated: May 11, 2026
Last updated: May 12, 2026


This metadata schema was used to describe curated data collections at the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) through approximately 2026. Beginning in 2026, it is being phased out and replaced by [an updated metadata schema](https://icpsr.github.io/metadata/icpsr_metadata_schema/).
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -369,8 +369,7 @@ Additional points regarding affiliated organizations:
| [Organization](#principal-investigator_organization) | Conditional | No | Text | The name of the organization primarily responsible for the data collection OR the organization with which an individual PI was affiliated at the time of a data collection's deposit at ICPSR. |
| [Order](#principal-investigator_order) | Yes | No | Number | The order or rank of importance for the PIs associated with the data collection, typically provided to ICPSR by the lead PI. |

<a name="principal-investigator_person"></a>
##### Person
##### Person {#principal-investigator_person}

**Description:** The name of a person primarily responsible for the data collection.

Expand All @@ -387,8 +386,7 @@ Additional points regarding affiliated organizations:
| [Given (First) Name](#principal-investigator_person_given_name) | Yes | No | Text | The person's given name. |
| [Family (Last) Name](#principal-investigator_person_family_name) | Yes | No | Text | The person's family name (e.g., surname). |

<a name="principal-investigator_person_given_name"></a>
###### Given (First) Name
###### Given (First) Name {#principal-investigator_person_given_name}

**Description:** The person's given name.

Expand All @@ -412,8 +410,7 @@ Additional points regarding affiliated organizations:
"E.V."
```

<a name="principal-investigator_person_family_name"></a>
###### Family (Last) Name
###### Family (Last) Name {#principal-investigator_person_family_name}

**Description:** The person's family name (e.g., surname).

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -454,8 +451,7 @@ Additional points regarding affiliated organizations:
"Family (Last) Name": "Oppenhuis"
```

<a name="principal-investigator_organization"></a>
##### Organization
##### Organization {#principal-investigator_organization}

**Description:** The name of the organization primarily responsible for the data collection OR the organization with which an individual PI was affiliated at the time of a data collection's deposit at ICPSR.

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -483,8 +479,7 @@ Additional points regarding affiliated organizations:
"United States Department of Health and Human Services. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities"
```

<a name="principal-investigator_order"></a>
##### Order
##### Order {#principal-investigator_order}

**Description:** The order or rank of importance for the PIs associated with the data collection, typically provided to ICPSR by the lead PI.

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -589,8 +584,7 @@ If a non-ICPSR distributor is necessary, please confirm the standards with the M
| [Location](#distributor_location) | Yes | No | Text | The location of the data distributor. |
| [Title](#distributor_order) | Yes | No | Number | The order of importance for the distributors of the data collection. |

<a name="distributor_name"></a>
##### Name
##### Name {#distributor_name}

**Description:** The name of the data distributor.

Expand All @@ -612,8 +606,7 @@ If a non-ICPSR distributor is necessary, please confirm the standards with the M
"Roper Center for Public Opinion Research"
```

<a name="distributor_location"></a>
##### Location
##### Location {#distributor_location}

**Description:** The location of the data distributor.

Expand All @@ -637,8 +630,7 @@ If a non-ICPSR distributor is necessary, please confirm the standards with the M
"Chicago, IL"
```

<a name="distributor_order"></a>
##### Title
##### Title {#distributor_order}

**Description:** The order of importance for the distributors of the data collection.

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -767,8 +759,7 @@ If a non-ICPSR distributor is necessary, please confirm the standards with the M
| [Purpose](#funding-source_purpose) | No | Yes | Text | The purpose of the funding. |
| [Order](#funding-source_order) | Yes | No | Number | The relative order of funding sources associated with the data collection. |

<a name="funding-source_agency"></a>
##### Agency
##### Agency {#funding-source_agency}

**Description:** An organization that supported the data collection.

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -803,8 +794,7 @@ If a non-ICPSR distributor is necessary, please confirm the standards with the M
"Robert Wood Johnson Foundation"
```

<a name="funding-source_grant_number"></a>
##### Grant Number
##### Grant Number {#funding-source_grant_number}

**Description:** A unique identifier associated with the funding.

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -833,8 +823,7 @@ If a non-ICPSR distributor is necessary, please confirm the standards with the M
"40791"
```

<a name="funding-source_purpose"></a>
##### Purpose
##### Purpose {#funding-source_purpose}

**Description:** The purpose of the funding.

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -865,8 +854,7 @@ If a non-ICPSR distributor is necessary, please confirm the standards with the M
"archiving of data"
```

<a name="funding-source_order"></a>
##### Order
##### Order {#funding-source_order}

**Description:** The relative order of funding sources associated with the data collection.

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -1086,8 +1074,7 @@ For United States-based data collections that include some or all U.S. island te
| [Date](#time-period_date) | Yes | No | Text | The date (or date range) for a time period to which the data refer. |
| [Time Frame](#time-period_time_frame) | No | No | Text | An optional free-text description of the time period, used for non-numeric dates (e.g., 'Fall 2012') or to add context when multiple dates are present. |

<a name="time-period_date"></a>
##### Date
##### Date {#time-period_date}

**Description:** The date (or date range) for a time period to which the data refer.

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -1123,8 +1110,7 @@ Dates are formatted in accordance with ISO 8601 (YYYY, YYYY-MM, or YYYY-MM-DD).
"2020-01-21--2021-01-21"
```

<a name="time-period_time_frame"></a>
##### Time Frame
##### Time Frame {#time-period_time_frame}

**Description:** An optional free-text description of the time period, used for non-numeric dates (e.g., 'Fall 2012') or to add context when multiple dates are present.

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -1189,8 +1175,7 @@ The textual description should not simply restate the time period in words. For
| [Date](#collection-date_date) | Yes | No | Text | The date (or date range) of the data collection period. |
| [Time Frame](#collection-date_time_frame) | No | No | Text | An optional free-text description of the data collection period, used for non-numeric dates (e.g., 'Fall 2012') or to add context when multiple dates are present. |

<a name="collection-date_date"></a>
##### Date
##### Date {#collection-date_date}

**Description:** The date (or date range) of the data collection period.

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -1222,8 +1207,7 @@ The textual description should not simply restate the time period in words. For
"2020-01-21--2021-01-21"
```

<a name="collection-date_time_frame"></a>
##### Time Frame
##### Time Frame {#collection-date_time_frame}

**Description:** An optional free-text description of the data collection period, used for non-numeric dates (e.g., 'Fall 2012') or to add context when multiple dates are present.

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -1958,8 +1942,7 @@ This element is only meant to convey specific, known, geography. If there is a v
| [Date](#changes-to-collection_date) | No | No | Text | The date on which an update occurred. ICPSR automatically generates this date. |
| [Note](#changes-to-collection_note) | No | No | Text | An explanation of the nature of the update. |

<a name="changes-to-collection_date"></a>
##### Date
##### Date {#changes-to-collection_date}

**Description:** The date on which an update occurred. ICPSR automatically generates this date.

Expand All @@ -1979,8 +1962,7 @@ This element is only meant to convey specific, known, geography. If there is a v
"2019-05-05"
```

<a name="changes-to-collection_note"></a>
##### Note
##### Note {#changes-to-collection_note}

**Description:** An explanation of the nature of the update.

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -2109,8 +2091,7 @@ This element is only meant to convey specific, known, geography. If there is a v
| [Name](#filesets_name) | No | No | Text | A brief title used to distinguish each fileset within a data collection. |
| [SDA Note](#filesets_sda_note) | No | No | Text | Additional information about the fileset for the purpose of helping online analysis users. |

<a name="filesets_number"></a>
##### Number
##### Number {#filesets_number}

**Description:** A number that uniquely identifies a 'part' or component file that is associated with the data collection.

Expand All @@ -2136,8 +2117,7 @@ This element is only meant to convey specific, known, geography. If there is a v
"3"
```

<a name="filesets_name"></a>
##### Name
##### Name {#filesets_name}

**Description:** A brief title used to distinguish each fileset within a data collection.

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -2169,8 +2149,7 @@ This element is only meant to convey specific, known, geography. If there is a v
"Northbound Restricted-Use Data"
```

<a name="filesets_sda_note"></a>
##### SDA Note
##### SDA Note {#filesets_sda_note}

**Description:** Additional information about the fileset for the purpose of helping online analysis users.

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -2225,6 +2204,7 @@ This element is only meant to convey specific, known, geography. If there is a v

| Date | Version | Note |
|------|---------|------|
| April 14, 2026 | v1.3 | Updated ICPSR input guidance for Geographic Coverage Area. |
| April 11, 2025 | v1.2 | Updated field definitions to improve clarity. |
| June 28, 2024 | v1.1 | Removed guidance regarding null entries for National Institute of Justice studies. Several fields previously required "None" when otherwise a field would be left blank. Updated internal guidance for 'external source id' and 'funding purpose' elements. Added 'study number' and distributor 'order' elements to address earlier oversights. |
| Oct. 30, 2023 | v1 | Initial release and publication of the legacy ICPSR Metadata Schema. |
Loading
Loading