Comparative Study of Election Surveys (CSES)
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

General & Access Questions

Is CSES data free to download and use?

Yes. All CSES datasets, codebooks, and questionnaire documents are public goods and freely available for non-commercial academic research, teaching, and policy analysis without subscription or user fees.

What software formats are provided?

Datasets are supplied in:

  • Stata (.dta) with full value and variable labels
  • SPSS (.sav) format
  • R (.rdata / .rds)
  • SAS (.sas7bdat / transport files)
  • Comma-Separated Values (.csv) with complete syntax scripts

Methodology & Survey Design

How are survey samples selected in each country?

Each participating national election study employs probability sampling representing the adult voting-age citizen population of the country. Specific sampling designs (stratification, clustering, multi-stage probability sampling) and response rates are documented in each country’s Design Report available in the data center.

When is the survey conducted?

The CSES common module is administered as part of a post-election survey, typically fielded within weeks following a national legislative or presidential election.

How is cross-national comparability ensured?

The Planning Committee develops standard English-language question stems, response options, and detailed translation notes. Collaborators adhere to the CSES Translation Protocol (back-translation and committee verification) to ensure conceptual equivalence across linguistic contexts.

Citing CSES Data

How do I cite CSES datasets in my paper?

Whenever you publish research utilizing CSES data, please include the formal citation and DOI:

Example (Module 5 Full Release):
Comparative Study of Election Surveys (www.cses.org). CSES Module 5 Full Release [Dataset]. GESIS Datenarchiv, Köln. ZA7505 Data file Version 1.0.0, https://doi.org/10.4232/1.13728

Data Merging & Bridging

Can I merge CSES with external datasets (e.g. V-Dem, World Bank, Manifesto Project)?

Yes. CSES datasets include standard ISO country codes, year identifiers, and party codes that make linking with external databases such as V-Dem, the Manifesto Project (CMP/MARPOR), the Comparative Political Data Set (CPDS), and World Development Indicators straightforward. See our Data Bridging Guide for exact merging syntax and crosswalk tables.

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