STUDY CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS:
This release is an ANES derivative file which merges data from 3 studies having content in common: the ANES 1980 Time Series Study, the ANES 1980 Major Panel Study, and the ANES 1980 Minor Panel Study. No cases were common across the studies.

All cases and data from the 3 component studies are present with the exception of data for a subset of questions from the 1980 Time Series study*. The 1980 Minor Panel is currently not available except in this derivative file. Variable naming does not match variable names used for the 1980 Time Series study or 1980 Major Panel study releases.

In this file, variables combine data from multiple administrations of the same question across the component studies; for example, a 1980 Merged File variable might combine (for the same question) data from the Time Series Pre-election wave, from wave P1 of the 1980 Major Panel, and from wave C1 of the 1980 Minor Panel. No variable can represent multiple waves from the same study, however; when the same question had been administered in multiple waves of at least one component study, more than one variable is necessary for the same question. Codebook documentation is organized at question level: each unique question (identified as an 'item' in the codebook) is documented with a list of 1 or more 1980 Merged File variables, each providing data for 1-3 administrations of the question among the waves of the component studies.

The 1980 Minor Panel included content on the development of attitudes toward and evaluations of candidates during an election campaign. Vote validation data are included for all 3 original cross-sections (P1, C1, C3) in variables VIN4001-VIN4012.

STUDY DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS:
The sample for each of the three component studies constitutes an independent cross-section. The discrete data collections representing 8 waves of interviewing may be summarized and selected (using variables VIN1760-VIN1763) as follows:

WEIGHTS SUMMARY:
No weights are present in this file for any of the component studies.

AUXILIARY FILE DESCRIPTION:
No auxiliary file is present for this derivative file release.

* post-election questions: L4-L9, L1-L14, L17-L21, H5-H24, J10,G4, section R