# Does ATUS-X add value to the data?

**URL:** <https://forum.ipums.org/t/does-atus-x-add-value-to-the-data/109>\
**Category:** TIME USE\
**Created:** [January 10, 2013, 8:26pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/does-atus-x-add-value-to-the-data/109 "2013-01-10T20:26:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![IPUMS](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.ipums.org/ipums/32/41_2.png) [@IPUMS](https://forum.ipums.org/u/IPUMS)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 8:26pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/does-atus-x-add-value-to-the-data/109/1 "2013-01-10T20:26:00Z")

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Does ATUS-X add value to the data?

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**Author:** ![IPUMS](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.ipums.org/ipums/32/41_2.png) [@IPUMS](https://forum.ipums.org/u/IPUMS)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 12:46pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/does-atus-x-add-value-to-the-data/109/2 "2013-01-22T12:46:00Z")

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The ATUS data files released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics are complex and considerable programming effort may be required to create even relatively simple time use variables. The ATUS-X data access system makes it easy for users to create the time use variables they want, thus making the data more accessible to a broader audience. The system aggregates time spent in user-specified combinations of activities and applies any requested filters behind the scenes and delivers this information to users in the form of a time use variable.

The ATUS-X data access system adds further value by integrating the ATUS-X data over time, in the sense that uniform codes have been assigned to variables. All codes are fully documented and variable documentation has been compiled in a convenient hyperlinked web format.