Customize Data Download

The Customize Data Download function, available in the  Advanced Download sub-tab, allows you to select specific file types from the Download Options checklist. Unlike the Basic Download, which provides a standard set of files, the Advanced Download offers additional file formats so you can choose which files to generate of the variables listed in the Selected Variables tab.

How to customize the download

The image below highlights two areas of the Advanced Download sub-tab, the Download Options and the Filename field with Download button.

1. Select the desired file types from the Download Options list:
   
   • Tagset (required)
   • SAS® control file with datafile of selected variables (optional)
   • SPSS® control file with datafile of selected variables (optional)
   • STATA® dictionary file of selected variables (optional)
   • R® Source code with datafile of selected variables (optional)
   • Codebook of selected variables (optional)
   • Short Description File (optional)
   • Comma-delimited data file of selected variables (to be read in Excel, etc.)
     • Choose a column header: Reference Number or Question Name (does not guarantee uniqueness)
2. Enter a filename for the download package in the Filename field and click the Download button to generate the files. If no filename is provided, it will be labeled, default (marker B).

Note: Filenames may contain only letters, numbers, hyphens (-), and underscores (_). The downloaded files will be packaged in a .zip file.

The download status will appear under the Manage Downloads sub-tab, the fourth option within the Download tab. The results of a advanced download will be listed in the downloads list using the filename previously entered. Click the corresponding filename link in the Name column to download the .zip file.

Note: Downloads may be deleted after 10 days of inactivity.

Zip file contents of an advanced download

The generated files will contain some or all of the following extensions and contents based on your download choices:

• .NLSY97 (or whichever cohort used) is the tagset, which you can use to open up the same list of variables at a later date (text file)
• .log is the log file from the download process (extract - text file)
• .dat is a data file to be read in by SAS or SPSS
• .sas is a SAS program to read in the data set
• .sps is a SPSS program to read in the data set
• .do is a STATA program to redefine the variables
• .dct is a STATA dictionary file of selected variables
• .R is an R program to read in the data set
• .cdb is a codebook of the selected variables (text file)
• .sdf is a short description listing of the selected variables (text file)
• .csv is a comma delimited file to be read in by Excel and other software