A short answer is yes and use WTSSALL. If you use the 1982 and 1987 data, there is one more step you need to do (please see below). Please read on for a long answer.
Users must decide for themselves whether and how to use weights when analyzing the GSS. The paragraphs that follow outline some reasons that users might wish to weight GSS data, and describe some weights made available as part of the GSS cumulative file.
From 1975 to the 2002 GSS used full-probability sampling of households designed to give each household an equal probability of being included in the GSS. Hence, for household-level variables the GSS is self-weighting.
Only one adult per household is interviewed, however, so persons living in large households have lower probabilities of selection. For person-level variables, weighting statistical results in proportion to the number of persons aged 18 or over in the household (variable ADULTS) can compensate for this.
The 1982 and 1987 GSSs included oversamples of black respondents. To adjust statistical results for this oversampling, one may either exclude cases in the black oversamples (codes 4, 5, and 7 on variable SAMPLE) or weight statistical results using weights in variable OVERSAMP.
Beginning in 2004, the GSS began to use a two-stage sub-sampling design for nonresponse. Cases from which no response has been obtained after the initial stage of the field period are subsampled, and resources are focused on gaining cooperation from this subset. Responses from persons in the subsample must subsequently be weighted up in order to represent all of those who had not responded by the time the subsample was drawn. Analysis of data from the 2004 and later GSSs should use weights WTSSALL, WTSS, or WTSSNR.
From 2006 until 2014, the GSS was divided into a nationally representative cross section and a 3-wave repeating panel. When using data from a single year with both sample types combined, two weights are avaialble, WTCOMB and WTCOMBNR. WTCOMBNR accounts for the subsamplling implemented in 2004. Analysis of any single year datafile between 2006 and 2014 should use WTCOMB or WTCOMBNR.
When working with full panel datafiles (e.g. the 2008-2010-2012 merged panel), four different weights are available. WTPAN12 and WTPAN12NR cover the first two waves of the sample, with WTPAN12NR accounting for the subsampling procedure. When working with all three waves, WTPAN123 and WTPAN123NR should be used.
For additional detail about weights in the GSS, see Appendix A: Sampling Design & Weighting.
