GSS: The General Social Survey, Data Platform, Methodological Innovation, and Dissemination Enhancement

About This Grant

The General Social Survey (GSS) provides information on the changing attitudes, behaviors, and economic circumstances of the American population since 1972. These data are used widely to examine the complex dynamics of social change over time, and are central to our understanding of the evolution of US society. The research plan has three primary aims. Aim 1: Enhance the GSS data as a platform for further scientific discovery by expanding content while continuing to track major social trends. Through partnerships with leading social scientists and other survey programs, the GSS modernizes content by providing opportunities for sponsored modules, while not increasing respondent burden, linking survey data to administrative sources, and continuing updates to the GSS baseline instrument. Aim 2: Invest in ongoing methodological innovations to ensure the long-term relevance and stability of the GSS. While maintaining consistent measures, the GSS is implementing innovations in sample design and is incorporating artificial intelligence and natural language processing methods to support data collection, analysis, and technical support. Aim #3: Foster a global learning community through broad data dissemination and enhancement of user engagement. Data dissemination is enhanced through improvements to the GSS Data Explorer, the growth of GSS data users via outreach to the STEM education community, and an increased presence on social media. The GSS fosters a global learning community of researchers through domestic and international partnerships, coupled with GSS follow-on surveys, the continuation of the open GSS module competition, and open call for sponsored modules from the broader scientific community. The GSS 2026 incorporates innovative methodologies, sample design, and technical operations. An important innovation is the integration of AI into the project in several ways. These include expansion of analytical possibilities such as AI applied to open-ended survey data; AI-enabled enhancement of Computer-Assisted Interviewing to support field interviewers; and AI-augmentation of technical assistance provided to users of the GSS Data Explorer, the dissemination tool for the GSS. Based on evidence from the randomized survey mode experiment in the 2022 and 2024 GSS surveys, the GSS 2026 uses a web-first multimode design that features cost sustainability and potential expansion of the sample size without sacrificing the scientific validity of the survey. The mail push-to-web methodology allows respondents to respond to the survey in a way that is optimal for them while reducing costs. Video interviewing capabilities and potential implementation also are being explored. The GSS 2026 sample and multimode survey design targets 4,000 completes per round. GSS data are released using a cumulative data file structure which harmonizes and releases all years of the core GSS survey items alongside the new data. This enhances the GSS researchers’ ability to study change over time from one data file. The GSS Data Explorer, among other platforms, provides access to GSS data and some simple tools for analyzing core GSS content. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.