At DataFest Germany 2024, KODAQS focused on data quality with a special trial run this year. This was just a taste of what is to come. KODAQS is preparing for an even more significant role next year by officially offering PhD students and postdoctoral researchers the opportunity to participate in the KODAQS Data Quality Academy and win the Data Quality Award. The event is a data-based competition, also known as a "hackathon," which alternates annually between Mannheim and Munich and is organized in cooperation with partners from industry and research institutions.
Datafest Germany is a festival that follows the model initiated in the USA. DataFest™ has been an integral part of the American Statistical Association for several years. The DataFest format was first implemented at the University of California in 2011. Since then, numerous other universities have adopted the format, leading to the establishment of DataFests worldwide.
KODAQS is a joint project of GESIS, the University of Mannheim, and the Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, and is funded by the BMBF.
The KODAQS employees—Jessica Daikeler, Fabienne Krämer, Fiona Draxler, and Laura Young—played a pivotal role in the event by providing their expertise in data analysis and data quality as consultants to all 16 participating teams. In particular, they concentrated on supporting the KODAQS test team, which consisted of Lena Roemer, Isabel M. Habicht, Björn Rohr, and Cagla Yildiz. Together, they addressed the challenges of the data set, evaluated its quality, and developed optimizations.
Furthermore, Dr. Markus Baumann represented GESIS as a PhD coordinator at the career fair on Saturday. The fair was aimed at soon-to-be-graduated, well-educated Master's students and offered insights into why GESIS is an excellent choice for doctoral studies. Markus was assisted by Björn Rohr and Fabienne Krämer, who provided insights into their experiences of pursuing a doctorate at GESIS.
The collaboration between KODAQS and DataFest Germany will facilitate innovation and enhance awareness of data quality. We anticipate further noteworthy developments at DataFest Germany in the near future.