Developing an Internet based Data Service at SSJDA in Japan

The Social Science Japan Data Archive (SSJDA) collects, maintains, and provides access to the academic community, a vast archive of social science data (quantitative data obtained from social surveys) for secondary analyses. As a unit within the Center for Social Research and Data Archives, Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo, SSJDA aims to promote empirical research on Japan in the social sciences, and has been disseminating survey data since April, 1998. The total number of available datasets is about 1,200 in the end of 2008. SSJDA plays the role of a major data provider for those who seek to analyze the Japanese society using micro data. This presentation discusses the recent efforts in developing the internet based system at SSJDA. SSJDA has an on-line searching system powered by full-text search engine. It has also developed an on-line data provision system which started to operate from April 2009. The English version of the same system will be made public early in 2010. In addition, SSJDA has just started to consider the adoption of DDI seriously.