User Syntax

If you have syntax that you would like to share with the rest of the user community we would be very happy to make it available via the website and can work with you to make sure its user friendly. If you have any questions about user synatx files or would like to make your own contribution, ggp@nidi.nl.

If you use syntax for work included in a publication we ask that you acknowledge the authors of the syntax in the publication.

User Syntax for GGS-II

Deriving information on household size and composition from the GGS II, wave 1 datasets [STATA]

Created by Carlotta Bochert (2023). This do-file derives the number of respondents’ household members by type (partner, children, other household members as differentiated in hhd04*) as well as the size of the households. From that, it constructs variables for household composition and the number of generations present in the household. It counts all people as household members who live there at least part-time.

Cite as: Bochert, C. (2023). Deriving information on household size and composition from the GGS II, wave 1 datasets. Retrieved from: https://www.ggp-i.org/user-syntax/

Deriving ages of household members from the GGS II, wave 1 datasets and counting members under certain ages [STATA]

Created by Carlotta Bochert (2023). This do-file derives the survey date as well as birthdates and ages of respondent, partners, children and other household members from the month and year information given in the original dataset. It also computes respondents’ ages at childbirth for each child.

Cite as: Bochert, C. (2023). Deriving ages of household members from the GGS II, wave 1 datasets and counting members under certain ages. Retrieved from https://www.ggp-i.org/user-syntax/

How to calculate the number of children in GGS-II [STATA]

Created by Yuxuan Jin, Olga Grunwald, Arieke Rijken (2023). In the Generations and Gender Survey II, Wave 1, the number of children is derived from the questions about children that respondents answer for their current and previous partners rather than asking respondents explicitly for the number of children. Since it is potentially challenging to calculate the number of children, this guide aims to help users construct four variables: the total number of biological children (numbio), the total number of adopted children (numadopt), the total number of stepchildren (numstep), and the total number of children (totalchildren).

Cite as: Jin, Y., Grunwald, O., Rijken, A. (2023). How to calculate the number of children in GGS-II. Retrieved from: https://www.ggp-i.org/user-syntax/

User Syntax for GGS-I

Merging the Datasets of Kazakhstan and Belarus and adding to the GGS Wave 1 Dataset [STATA]

Created by Thomas James Gaut (January 2021). These files merge the dataset for Kazakhstan with Belarus and, using the syntax written by Vytenis Juozas Deimantas (2019), create a combined GGS Wave 1 and GGS2020 Belarus and Kazakhstan dataset. This enables the use of the Kazakhstan dataset in comparative studies. The syntax produced by Vytenis Juozas Deimantas (2019) will need to be downloaded alongside this syntax and cited as well. The GGS1_Kazakh_Belarus_readme.txt file contains instructions on how to use the syntax, as well as a brief description of the differences between the GGS2020 Belarus and Kazakhstan datasets. For variables that can be used in analyses, please see the spreadsheet GGS1-GGP2020_BY.xlsx that is downloaded as part of Vytenis Juozas Deimantas’ syntax.

Cite as: Gaut, T.J. (2020). User-written Stata syntax to add the GGS2020 dataset for Kazakhstan to Belarus and the GGS Wave 1. Retreived from: https://www.ggp-i.org/data/methodology/

Combining GGS Wave 1 and GGS2020 Belarus Datasets [STATA]

Created by Vytenis Juozas Deimantas (December 2019). These files allow to put together a combined GGS Wave 1 and GGS2020 Belarus dataset. This makes it convenient to perform comparative studies between countries in GGS Wave 1 and GGS2020 Belarus. Before running the syntax, you will need to read GGS1-GGS2020_BY_readme.txt file that contains guidelines on how to successfully produce a joint dataset. After running the syntax, you will have to consult GGS1-GGP2020_BY.xlsx file which has a list of variables that can be used for meaningful demographic analyses with the combined GGS Wave 1 and GGS2020 Belarus dataset. NOTE: the syntax does not harmonise the Life Histories, users interested in analysing fertility and partnership histories are encourage to use the Harmonized Histories dataset.

Cite as: Deimantas, V. J. (2019). User-written stata syntax to combine GGS Wave 1 and GGS2020 Belarus Datasets. Retrieved from: https://www.ggp-i.org/data/methodology/

GGS Century Month Creation [STATA]

Created by Judith Koops and Tom Emery (August 2015). This file converts all dates in wave 1 of the GGS into century months. Century Months express the date of an event in terms of the number of months past since January 1st 1900. This makes the file easy to use for analysing the life course as you can simply subtract one date from another in order to get the number of months between the two events. Before running the syntax you will need to open a 4.2 version of a wave 1 file and run then just run the syntax. The variables are then converted from month/year format to century month format (i.e. ahg6m_1 ahg6y_1 -> anhg6_CM).

Cite as: Koops, J. C.,  & Emery, T. (2019). User-written stata syntax to converts dates in GGS Wave 1 into century months. Retrieved from: https://www.ggp-i.org/data/methodology/

GGS Fertility Indicators [SPSS]

Created by Jorik Vergauwen, Jonas Wood, David de Wachter and Karel Neels and reported in the following article of Demographic Research (Link). Please cite the article if used. The syntax files allow the user/reader to replicate all different nuptiality indicators (ASFFMR, Period TFFMR, Cohort TFFMR, Period MAFFM and Cohort MAFFM) and fertility indicators (ASFR, Period TFR, Cohort TFR, Period MAC and Cohort MAC) for GGS Belgium. The code can be modified and applied to the microdata for other countries by using the information in Table 1 of the article. This table provides the user/reader with more information on the selections used for the different countries (for rates up to age 49). Note that the time periods considered for validation in Table 1 are based on rates calculated up to the age of 49 (while syntax selections are for the max. range, i.e. rates up to age 39). Also note that variable names differ between GGS countries (e.g. the max. number of partnerships, max. number of resident biological children, etc.).

Cite as: Vergauwen, J., Wood, J., De Wachter, D., & Neels, K. (2015). Quality of demographic data in GGS Wave 1. Demographic Research, 32, 723-774.

Start your research with GGP Data today

Subscribe to our Mailing List!

Fill the form below with your contact information to receive our monthly GGP at a glance newsletter.