Welcome to the SOEP-IS Companion!

The research infrastructure SOEP at DIW Berlin established a longitudinal Innovation Sample (SOEP-IS) in 2011 for particularly innovative research projects. The SOEP-IS is primarily available for methodical and thematic research that involves too high a risk of non-response for the long-term SOEP study. It is based on the evaluation conducted by the Science Council and was originally part of SOEP-Core, but has been running as an completely separate study since 2011.

The SOEP-IS Companion describes the current release of the SOEP-IS data (version IS-2024). This page is subject to regular updates to continue providing users a comprehensive, up-to-date introductory understanding of the SOEP-IS.

We know that starting to use any new dataset is difficult, and this is especially true of panel data given their complexity. We hope that this introduction will help. We always welcome any feedback or tips on how to improve our documentation.

• Recommendation of our most recent data version and a general short description of SOEP-IS study: SOEP-IS 2024 (Data 1998-2024)

• Latest call for proposals: SOEP-IS Innovative Modules

• paneldata.org, our information system for efficient working with complex datasets: paneldata.org/soep-is

• Forum4MICA - The online forum for SOEP and other RDCs: “Forum4MICA” can provide solutions for new or already asked questions. It also offers you the opportunity to get in contact and exchange information with other users. Registration & use of the forum is, of course, free of charge.

Table of Content

• Topics of SOEP-IS
  • Topics of SOEP-IS
  • Topics of SOEP-IS by Questionnaire
• Survey Design
  • Wave Reports
  • Survey Periods
  • Information for Authors of Innovative Modules
• Target Population and Samples
  • The SOEP-IS Samples in Detail
  • Waves and results
• Innovative Modules
  • Upcoming Modules - Survey Year 2026
  • Upcoming Modules - Survey Year 2025
  • Upcoming Modules - Survey Year 2024
  • Released Modules
• Working with SOEP-IS Data
  • Using tutorials from SOEP-Core
  • SOEP-IS in 6 steps
  • Inno Dataset
  • Data for Authors of Innovative Modules
• Working with SOEP-IS Documentation
  • Using tutorials from SOEP-Core
  • Questionnaires Introduction
  • Questionnaires Overview
• FAQ
  • What is the difference between the Companion of the SOEP-Core and the SOEP-IS?
  • Is SOEP-IS a representative study / sample?
  • Why are there cases from SOEP-Core in some SOEP-IS datasets?
  • Can I merge variables from innovative modules with SOEP Core data?
  • The inno.dta dataset cannot be opened because it contains too many variables / cases. Is there a smaller version of the dataset?
  • Why is the current survey year missing in the “inno” dataset?
  • According to the questionnaire, respondents can answer open ended questions. Why are these variables not in the datasets?
  • What do the suffixes “_v1”, “_v2”, or “_h” in variable names mean?
  • Why is the pid not a unique identifier in the biol dataset?
  • Some dasets contain variables with the suffix “_is”. What does this mean?
• Contact Information