If you have a question you can email me at jkkaplan6@gmail.com. I get a lot of requests and unfortunately can't respond to all of them, especially around data quality issues in the underlying data. I will not respond to questions sent to my Penn email.  Questions that you would ask a co-author - such as how to properly handle missing data or how I would approach a research problem - are generally outside the scope of a question that I'll answer. If you require more detailed help than an brief email response or are interested in working with me on data or research, email me to discuss the project, timeline, and other relevant information. Make sure your email specifies what the project is, what part I would do, who else is involved, and a timeline for project completion (or at least my part of the project). 

Yes. It is good practice to cite the data that you use in a project or a paper. For the data that I have released on openICPSR, the terms of use that you agree to while downloading the data require that you cite the data if you use it. Specifically, it states "You agree to reference the recommended bibliographic citation in any publication that employs resources provided by ICPSR." To cite the data, use the citation that is under the "Project Citation:" header on the openICPSR page for the data. For most of the data you can also look on Google Scholar to find the BibTeX, EndNote, RefMan, or RefWorks citation shortcuts there.

Some of the data available is very detailed and includes a number of variables about individuals such as the victim and offender of a crime. It may be possible to use this to identify the individuals. Do not do this. It is irresponsible and unethical to try to identify people from this data. It is also against the data use agreement you agree to on openICPSR to download the data. Specifically, it states that "by downloading these data, you hereby agree: " To not use these datasets for investigation of specific RESEARCH SUBJECTS, except when identification is authorized in writing by ICPSR (help@icpsr.umich.edu) [and] To make no use of the identity of any RESEARCH SUBJECT discovered inadvertently, and to advise ICPSR of any such discovery (help@icpsr.umich.edu)". Again, do not even attempt to try to identify any individuals from these data. Identifying individuals may lead to interesting research and papers - that is no excuse, don't do it.

Kaplan, Jacob. Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (ASPEP), 1992-2016. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2021-01-16. https://doi.org/10.3886/E101399V6

Kaplan, Jacob. Annual Survey of State Government Finances, 1992-2018. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2021-01-16. https://doi.org/10.3886/E101880V4

Kaplan, Jacob. Apparent Per Capita Alcohol Consumption: National, State, and Regional Trends 1977-2018. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2021-01-16. https://doi.org/10.3886/E105583V5

Kaplan, Jacob. California Department of Corrections Data. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2021-01-16. https://doi.org/10.3886/E108602V2

Kaplan, Jacob. California Jail Profile Survey 1995-2020. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2021-01-16. https://doi.org/10.3886/E104560V7

Kaplan, Jacob, Hoyos-Torres, Sebastian, Gur, Oren, Concannon, Connor, and Jones, Nick. Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Prisons in the United States, April - June 2020. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2020-06-26. https://doi.org/10.3886/E119901V1

Kaplan, Jacob. Texas Commission on Jail Standards Data 1992-2017. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2018-07-14. https://doi.org/10.3886/E104643V1

Kaplan, Jacob. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Statistics and Summaries. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2021-01-16. https://doi.org/10.3886/E109522V5

Kaplan, Jacob. Jacob Kaplan’s Concatenated Files: National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) Data, 1991-2021. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2023-04-03. https://doi.org/10.3886/E118281V7

Kaplan, Jacob. Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program Data: Arrests by Age, Sex, and Race, 1974-2021. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2021-09-27. https://doi.org/10.3886/E102263V14

Kaplan, Jacob. Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program Data: Arson 1979-2021. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2023-04-02. https://doi.org/10.3886/E103540V11

Kaplan, Jacob. Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program Data: Hate Crime Data 1991-2021.. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2023-04-02. https://doi.org/10.3886/E103500V9

Kaplan, Jacob. Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program Data: Human Trafficking 2013-2019. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2021-01-21. https://doi.org/10.3886/E117974V3

Kaplan, Jacob. Uniform Crime Reporting Program Data: Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) 1960-2021. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2023-04-02. https://doi.org/10.3886/E102180V12

Kaplan, Jacob. Uniform Crime Reporting Program Data: Offenses Known and Clearances by Arrest, 1960-2021. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2023-04-02. https://doi.org/10.3886/E100707V19

Kaplan, Jacob. Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program Data: Property Stolen and Recovered (Supplement to Return A) 1960-2021. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2023-04-02. https://doi.org/10.3886/E105403V9

Kaplan, Jacob. Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program Data: Supplementary Homicide Reports, 1976-2021. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2023-04-02. https://doi.org/10.3886/E100699V12

Kaplan, Jacob. United States Governors 1775-2020. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2021-01-16. https://doi.org/10.3886/E102000V3