OR Handbook: Participate

...in OR meetings, Council elections, and manage ICPSR resources on your campus

Implement and Manage IP-based Access

ICPSR provides direct access to the ICPSR data holdings for all students, faculty, and staff at ICPSR member institutions. Any user with a MyData account and an authorized IP address from a member institution may download data from ICPSR. All ICPSR member institutions are eligible to participate.

To implement direct access on a campus, ORs should email their IP ranges to ICPSR (icpsr-pcsupport@umich.edu ). Once IP-based access has been implemented, the local representative receives a daily manifest that summarizes the authorized ordering activity for their institution over the previous 24 hours. ORs can change their institutional settings, including opting out of receiving the daily manifest, at Institutional Settings .

Initially access to ICPSR data was restricted to campus IP addresses. Currently, though, users validate their MyData account semiannually from a campus computer and then download data from anywhere. Even though users can access data directly, many continue to seek assistance from ORs/DRs in locating, accessing, and working with ICPSR data.

OR Biennial Meeting

A biennial meeting, taking place in odd-numbered years on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, is held with the goal of training OR/DRs on using the resources available through the website and updating them on the future plans of ICPSR. The slate of potential council members is presented. On even-numbered years, a Social Science Data Fair is offered in the fall consisting of a series of webinars presenting training on data-related topics such as data management plans, managing confidential data, and bringing data-related materials into the undergraduate classroom. Data Fair sessions are free and open to all interested individuals.

Elect Representatives to ICPSR Council

The members of ICPSR elect a Council of twelve who serve four-year terms without compensation, meeting three times a year; six new Council members are elected every two years. The Council is the executive committee of the members and is authorized to act on behalf of the members to oversee administrative, budgetary, and organizational policies and procedures of ICPSR. The Chair of the Council presides at the biennial meetings of Official Representatives and at the Council meetings. The past Council Chair continues as an ex-officio non-voting member of Council for one year after his or her term concludes.