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Frequently Asked Questions |
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New Users
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Database Access Problems
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Data/Syntax/Program
Questions
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The database - Generalities |
Does LIS collect data
directly?No, we do not collect data directly. We collect datasets, i.e. sample surveys that have been already collected by the Central Statistical Offices of the various member countries. The micro-datasets we receive are then transformed ("lissified" – see definition herebelow) according to a variable structure, in order to make them comparable across countries. In other words, LIS creates databases that put together and make comparable surveys of different countries for cross-country research purposes. |
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What do harmonization,
standardization, "lissification", exactly mean? An "harmonized" variable is a variable that exists (or may exist, depending on its actual presence in the original dataset) for each country, but whose coding differs in principle across countries. The harmonised variables are typically all the country-specific variables; the original classification is usually preserved. "Standardised" variables are, on the contrary, variables that have been recoded in order to fit a fixed coding scheme, i.e. variables that have categories that are the same across countries.
To "lissify"
a dataset means to operate the necessary
transformations to the original dataset in order to make it correspond to the
variable structure, which include both "harmonised" (country-specific) and
"standardised" variables (variables with common categories for all countries). |
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Can LIS data be
used for longitudinal analysis? No. LIS data can only be used for cross-sectional studies. There are no household identification numbers (necessary to be able to link persons between waves) |
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Can LIS data be
used for regional research? Yes. Many datasets have a geographic location indicator (LIS variable D7) |
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New Users |
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How do I become an user? To become an user, all what is required is to sign a pledge (a commitment to use the data in a "correct" way – without attempting to derive information relating specifically to an identified individual – and to publish every piece of research based on the data in the Working Paper Series). Use of the database for commercial purposes is strictly forbidden. Once the signed registration has been returned (either by fax or mail), you will be assigned an ID and password that will give you access to the database. |
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Should users pay
to access the data? 1. A researcher working for an academic, government or non-profit organization affiliated with a LIS Member Country is allowed unlimited free usage of the LIS databases. The LIS Member Countries pay usage fees on behalf of their researchers. A list of Member Countries is available here. 2. A graduate student, regardless of affiliation, will receive free access to the LIS database while pursuing their degree. 3. LIS charges a fee of 500 Euro/QUARTER per individual user for those researchers based in countries where an organization (or set of organizations) does not pay the basic membership fee. This fee of 500 euro per individual user will apply to users from international organizations and government agencies. 4. Researchers from low-income countries can be granted free access to LIS subject to approval of the Executive Committee. |
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Does publication
of a paper in the LIS/LWS Working Papers Series preclude submission of the same piece of research
to a scientific journal? No. When academic researchers sign the end user registration form, they engage to submit any piece of research they may produce to the LIS/LWS Working Papers Series in the first place (before submitting it to anywhere else). The aim of these working papers is to ‘keep track’ of all the pieces of research carried out using the databases and to allow better circulation of ideas and, therefore, improvement of the paper. For this reason, papers are usually published without a refereed process, provided they are complete and do not contain evident mistakes. Publication in the Working Papers Series does not preclude in any way submission to a journal. Indeed, we ask the author to tell us when and where the paper is published to "advertise" it in our newsletter and in our Web page. If the paper, already published in the series is revised, it is possible for the author to ask us to substitute the old WP with the revised version. To submit a paper to the Working Papers Series, the author must send us the paper in electronic format (Word or Acrobat formats accepted – graphs and figures are OK also in Excel). It will be made available in Acrobat format on our website. |
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Data/Syntax/Program
Questions |
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I've got syntax
errors in my program, can you correct it? Writing a correct program is the user's responsibility. However, one will find many useful examples of SPSS, SAS and STATA programs in our self-teaching packages. You may also want to test your programs on the artificial samples we provide (see LIS sample files). If you are absolutely sure your program is right but it still does not work, contact our user support. |
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Can I convert the output I received from “LISSY” into another format?
Output is begin sent back to uses in plain text
format to guarantee that all users can read it, no matter which statistical
package they are using. The output can easily be converted into another
format (copy/paste in an Excel sheet for example) |
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I don't know how to
calculate poverty rates There are some examples in our self-teaching packages and there are some poverty programs online. |
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Database Access Problems |
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While submitting a job request through email a specific four-line header must be applied at the very beginning of the email body, regardless of the programming language used
LISSY does not process the job request and returns an email to the address from where the job request had been submitted along with an error message Please, look at Submitting
Jobs via Email on our website for further details)
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Normally you should received the output back shortly after submitting the job request. Depending on the system capacity and on the complexity of your job, the processing time varies between a few minutes and a few hours. Reasons for not receiving output: 1. Your e-mail address registered in the LIS system is not valid anymore. You should remember to notify us of any changes in your e-mail address as outputs are returned automatically. 2. The e-mail sent back by our system has been blocked by an antispam filter (please check with your e-mail administrator). 3. Your job was sent to the review queue because you used a prohibited command or because the output was too long. It will be reviewed manually and sent back only if no problem has been detected |
Copyright (c) 2000 Luxembourg Income
Study all rights reserved
Send mail to
Caroline de Tombeur
File current as of 14 January, 2010