User Guides and Documentation Reports

User Guides and Documentation Reports are designed to provide analysts with documentation about the concepts, measures and questions in the HRS surveys. These reports expand upon the information found in codebooks, questionnaires and data descriptions. They also provide comprehensive descriptions of created measures (including their origin), changes made across waves, variable distributions, results from data quality analysis, information about the data structure of individual HRS surveys, and information on special data manipulation topics.

Additional documentation (not listed below) comparing the HRS with HRS International Sister Studies for specific research domains is available on the Gateway to Global Aging Data website.

Servais M. An Elementary Cookbook of Data Management using HRS Data with SPSS, SAS and Stata Examples. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2004.PDF icon Download PDF (212.78 KB)
Servais M. Overview of HRS Public Data Files for Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Analysis. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2010.PDF icon Download PDF (406.2 KB)
Sonnega A, Faul J, Ofstedal MBeth, Langa KM, Phillips JWR, Weir DR. Cohort Profile: the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Int J Epidemiol. 2014;43(2):576-85. doi:10.1093/ije/dyu067.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24671021?dopt=Abstract
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Crimmins EM, Faul J, Thyagarajan B, Weir DR. Venous Blood Collection and Assay Protocol in the 2016 Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2017.PDF icon Download PDF (1.78 MB)
Crimmins EM, Faul J, Kim JK, Weir DR. Documentation of Blood-Based Biomarkers in the 2014 Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor, MI: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2017.PDF icon Download PDF (247.04 KB)
Crimmins E, Faul J, Kim JK, Weir DR. Documentation of lnterleukin-6 (IL-6) Assays from Dried Blood Spots 2014 and 2016. Ann Arbor, MI: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2023.PDF icon Download PDF (479.07 KB)
Crimmins EM, Faul J, Kim JK, et al. Documentation of Biomarkers in the 2006 and 2008 Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2013.PDF icon Download PDF (364.89 KB)
Crimmins EM, Faul J, Kim JK, Weir DR. Documentation of Biomarkers in the 2010 and 2012 Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Survey Research Center, University of Michigan; 2015:15.PDF icon Download PDF (198.27 KB)
Guyer HM, Ofstedal MBeth, Lessof C, Cox K. The Benefits and Challenges of Collecting Physical Measures and Biomarkers in Cross-National Studies. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2017.PDF icon Download PDF (166.91 KB)
Fisher GG, McArdle JJ, McCammon RJ, Sonnega A, Weir DR. New Measures of Fluid Intelligence in the HRS. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2013.PDF icon Download PDF (401.25 KB)
Heeringa SG, Fisher GG, Hurd MD, et al. Aging, Demographics and Memory Study (ADAMS): Sample Design, Weighting and Analysis for ADAMS. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2009.PDF icon Download PDF (581.8 KB)
McCammon RJ, Fisher GG, Hassan H, Faul J, Rogers W, Weir DR. Health and Retirement Study Imputation of Cognitive Functioning Measures: 1992-2018. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Survey Research Center, University of Michigan; 2022.PDF icon Download PDF  (1.42 MB)
McClain CA, Ofstedal MBeth, Couper MP. Measuring Cognition in a Multi-mode Context. Ann Arbor, MI: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2018:1-48.PDF icon Download PDF (411.01 KB)
Ofstedal MBeth, Fisher GG, Herzog AR. Documentation of Cognitive Functioning Measures in the Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2005.PDF icon Download PDF (266.73 KB)
Weir DR, Langa KM, Ryan LH. 2016 Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP) Study Protocol Summary. Ann Arbor, MI: Health and Retirement Study, Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2016:1-15.PDF icon Download PDF (441.6 KB)
Weir DR, McCammon RJ, Ryan LH, Langa KM. Cognitive Test Selection for the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP). Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2014.PDF icon Download PDF (485.77 KB)
Cao H, Henretta JC, Norgard TM, Soldo BJ, Weir DR. HRS 2001 HUMS College Tuition Imputations. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2005.PDF icon Download PDF (50.75 KB)
Fang C, Kapinos K. Prospective Social Security Wealth Measures of Pre-Retirees Wave 10. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2016.PDF icon Download PDF (293.22 KB)
Fang C, Butchart A, Stolyarova H, Nolte MA, Peticolas R. Pension Estimation Program Users Guide. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan; 2016.PDF icon Download PDF (1.31 MB)
SSA Permissions Consent History: 1992-2012 (Public Version). Ann Arbor: Survey Research Center, University of Michigan; 2015:5.PDF icon Download PDF (62.86 KB)
Levy HG, Gutierrez I. Documentation and Benchmarking of Health Insurance Measures in the Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2009.PDF icon Download PDF (429.49 KB)
Mitchell OS, Olson J, Steinmeier TL. Construction of the Earnings and Benefits File (EBF) for Use with the Health and Retirement Study. University of Pennsylvania; 1996.
Note - An updated and revised version of this paper is available in Forecasting Retirement Needs and Retirement Wealth, Olivia S. Mitchell, P. Brett Hammond and Anna M. Rappaport, eds., Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2000. See Chapter 13, "Social Security Earnings and Projected Benefits"
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Stolyarova H, Nolte MA, Peticolas R. Pension Coding Program Users Guide. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2005.PDF icon Download PDF (2.59 MB)
Nolte MA, Servais M, Turf M. Occupation and Industry Coding in HRS/AHEAD. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2016.PDF icon Download PDF (799.52 KB)
Resources for Analysis of Family Data.
This page brings together reference materials pertaining to HRS data content related to family issues. It contains direct links to relevant questionnaire areas, codebook content and bibliographic materials, as well as other background information.
Faul J, Smith JA. Health and Retirement Study: Genetic Data Consortia Collaboration. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2022.PDF icon Download PDF (108.16 KB)
Ware EB, Schmitz LL, Faul J. HRS Polygenic Scores: 2006-2010 Genetic Data. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2017.PDF icon Download PDF (599.95 KB)
Fisher GG, Faul J, Weir DR, Wallace RB. Documentation of Chronic Disease Measures in the Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2005.PDF icon Download PDF (460.3 KB)
HRS Staff. USDA Food Access Information All Respondents 1992-2014. Ann Arbor, MI: Health and Retirement Study, Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research; 2017.PDF icon Download PDF (335.14 KB)
Jenkins KRahrig, Ofstedal MBeth, Weir DR. Documentation of Health Behaviors and Risk Factors Measured in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS/AHEAD). Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2008.PDF icon Download PDF (360.85 KB)
Levy HG. User Guide to Health Insurance in the Health and Retirement Study, 2006-2014. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2017.PDF icon Download PDF (298.12 KB)
Steffick DE. Documentation of Affective Functioning Measures in the Health and Retirement Study. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2000.PDF icon Download PDF (2.9 MB)
Smith J, Ofstedal MBeth, Larkina M, Helppie-McFall B, Sonnega A, Weir DR. LHMS User Guide 2015-2017. Ann Arbor, MI: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan ; 2022.PDF icon Download PDF (944.41 KB)
Sonnega A, Smith J. Health and Retirement Study: A Longitudinal Data Resource for Psychologists. (Pachana NA, ed.). Singapore: Springer Singapore; 2017. doi:10.1007/978-981-287-080-310.1007/978-981-287-080-3_39-1.PDF icon PDF Download (246.25 KB)
Smith J, Ryan LH, Larkina M, Sonnega A, Weir DR. Psychosocial and Lifestyle Questionnaire 2006 - 2022. Ann Arbor, MI: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2023.PDF icon Download PDF (1.43 MB)
Heeringa SG, Connor J. Technical Description of the Health and Retirement Study Sample Design. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 1995.PDF icon Download PDF (272.48 KB)
Schroeder H, Weir DR, West BT. Representativeness of the oversamples of Blacks and Hispanics in the Health and Retirement Study: A geographic analysis of 2020. Ann Arbor, MI: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2023.PDF icon Download PDF (383.09 KB)
Cao H. Impute: A SAS Application System for Missing Value Imputations-With Special Reference to HRS Income/Assets. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2001.
This document is obsolete, but is preserved here for historical reference.
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