An unformatted summary describing the purpose, nature, and scope of the data collection, special characteristics of its contents, major subject areas covered, and what questions the PIs attempted to answer when they conducted the study. A listing of major variables in the study is important here. In cases where a codebook contains more than one abstract (for example, one might be supplied by the data producer and another prepared by the data archive where the data are deposited), the "source" and "date" attributes may be used to distinguish the abstract versions. Maps to Dublin Core Description element. Inclusion of this element in the codebook is recommended. The "date" attribute should follow ISO convention of YYYY-MM-DD. The contentType attribute provides forward-compatibility with DDI Lifecycle by describing where the content fits in that structure, or if is mixed [abstract | purpose | mixed] in terms of what is contained.
<abstract date="1999-01-28" source="ICPSR" contentType="abstract">Data on labor force activity for the week prior to the survey are supplied in this collection. Information is available on the employment status, occupation, and industry of persons 15 years old and over. Demographic variables such as age, sex, race, marital status, veteran status, household relationship, educational background, and Hispanic origin are included. In addition to providing these core data, the May survey also contains a supplement on work schedules for all applicable persons aged 15 years and older who were employed at the time of the survey. This supplement focuses on shift work, flexible hours, and work at home for both main and second jobs.</abstract>