The International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) – Methodological innovations and substantive research in comparative perspective |
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| Coordinator 1 | Professor Stephanie Steinmetz (University of Lausaane) |
| Coordinator 2 | Dr René Bautista ( NORC at the University of Chicago) |
| Coordinator 3 | Dr Ricardo Gonzalez (Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez) |
| Coordinator 4 | Professor Ioannis Andreadis (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki) |
| Coordinator 5 | Professor Markus Hadler (University of Graz) |
| Coordinator 6 | Professor Eglė Butkevičienė (Kaunas University of Technology) |
In an increasingly interconnected world, understanding public attitudes and behaviours around the world is crucial. While many cross-national surveys are limited to specific topics or conducted sporadically, the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) stands out as a continuous, large-scale initiative that has provided high-quality cross-national data and long-term time series since 1985. The ISSP's unique organisational structure, based on democratic cooperation among equal partners, promotes adaptability and responsiveness to new challenges. As a result, the ISSP covers a wide range of topics and provides valuable insights into social science research.
A key strength of the ISSP is its rigorous methodological approach and a dedicated committee of experts that ensures that national sample designs meet the program's strict quality standards before they are approved, thus helping to maintain data comparability across countries. In addition, ISSP data, questionnaires, and related documentation - such as data collection and questionnaire development materials - are freely available to researchers. This makes the ISSP an invaluable resource for those seeking high-quality global survey data that meet rigorous methodological standards.
This session aims to facilitate the exchange of knowledge about the ISSP among data providers and researchers who already use or plan to use ISSP data in their work. The focus will be on methodological challenges related to the quality of cross-national survey data, although papers addressing substantive issues related to one or more ISSP modules are also welcome.