Instructional designers and others who are interested in computer and Internet usage will definitely want to check out this archive, sponsored by the Department of Sociology at the University of Maryland.

Here are some of the datasets available on this comprehensive website. Click on "Data Archives" at the top left frame of this massive WEBsite to learn more:

Subsets of the General Social Survey that only deal with computer and Internet use plus basic demographics. When they say Internet use, they are not kidding (I have presented and published using these data so I know): there are questions on the type of Web sites visited, the use of email (at work and at home), knowledge (bookmarks, search engines, computer viruses, chat rooms, etc.), knowledge and use among family and acquaintances.

My information technology access and use file that spans 1983 to 2001 (now available through 2006) asking about PC and Internet access and use with a host of demographics. This file amalgamates the NSF Surveys of Public Understanding of Science and Technology 1979-1999 with General Social Survey data from 2002 and 2006.

Part of the United States Census materials dealing with computer and Internet use.

This is the famous "Falling Through the Net" series. It is typically considered "the standard" for what we know about the basics of computer and Internet use.

Unfortunately, for unknown reasons, the Census grabbed anyone in the household who was at least 14 years old. This individual gave information about everyone in the household who was at least three years of age (it doesn't explain why racial identification is missing from a substantial number of people). Then the data were "inflated" taking all these residents (who were never directly asked anything) into account. This means anyone from age 14 to 90+ was giving information about all other household residents.

How accurate were they in describing other people's behavior? Well, the "Falling Through the Net" series is virtually the ONLY one that does not find sex differences in computer use during the early 2000s. I think their data have some serious biases and instead of "Falling through the Net," I think they "Fell Down on the Job."

Surveys conducted by the University of Maryland Survey Research center on computer and Internet use.

And much more. After you locate the site from the url below, click on "Data Archives" (left hand frame) to see descriptions of the data available. Much of it can be downloaded for free and some can be analyzed online.

Many codebooks are available for the datasets that can be accessed online too!
 

 SEE IT HERE, JUST CLICK ON THE COMPUTER:

Revised January 20 2009