Social science data, existing in a format that can be manipulated by computing machinery, can be used for many purposes in addition to those for which they were initially collected. Scholars and government planners should hve ready and equal access to such material and these groups will be best served if they are informed regarding the characteristics of the materials available to them and the means for their proper utilization. Several barriers prevent the realization of this goal. Foremost among them is the absence of a central organization that will co-ordinate the activities of diverse independent efforts; establish standards for processing, documenting, and storing data; work toward developing procedures for servicing the needs of users; disseminate information pertaining to the operations and contents of social science data archives; provide a common meeting ground for professionals engaged in the management and development of these archives; and help to secure funds to accomplish these tasks. The study report is concerned with overcoming the barriers to realizing the fullest utilization of machine readable social science data. (Author)