Further Ressources on Research Data Management
Planning
Helpful sources for planning your research project systematically from the start:
- CESSDA (2019). Adapt your Data Management Plan - A list of Data Management Questions based on the Expert Tour Guide on Data Management. https://dmeg.cessda.eu/content/download/4302/48656/file/TTT_DO_DMPExpertGuide_v1.3.pdf (CC BY)
- ICPSR (n.d.). Guide to social science data preparation: Best practice throughout the data life cycle. https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/pages/deposit/guide/
Document research data
Good documentation helps other researchers to better find and understand your research data:
- Jedinger, A., O. Watteler, and A. Förster (2018). "Improving the quality of survey data documentation: A total survey error perspective." Data 3 (4): 45. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/data3040045 (CC BY)
Process research data
In order to make the data comprehensible for subsequent users, there are some steps to be observed in the data processing:
- ICPSR (n.d.). Guide to social science data preparation: Best practice throughout the data life cycle. https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/pages/deposit/guide/
Save and secure research data
To secure data and materials against loss, overwriting, etc., you will find information on data organisation and data security here:
- Verbund Forschungsdaten Bildung (2018). Naming and organising files. https://www.forschungsdaten-bildung.de/dateien-benennen?la=en
- Netscher, S. (2023). Checkliste: Back-Up-Prozesse. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8246598 (CC BY)
Protect research data
In social science research, personal data usually also play a role. The persons concerned must be protected according to the law:
- RatSWD [German Data Forum] (2020). Data Protection Guide. 2nd fully revised edition. RatSWD Output 8 (6). Berlin, German Data Forum (RatSWD). https://doi.org/10.17620/02671.57
- KonsortSWD (2023). Discipline-specific information on informed consent documents: https://www.konsortswd.de/en/ratswd/best-practices-research-ethics/informed-consent-documents/
- Perry, A. (2023). How to secure your data. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8227992 (CC BY)
Working together in the cloud
Research projects are very often conducted in different institutions and across national borders. This poses particular challenges in terms of data management and shared access to research data:
Share research data
When sharing research data, some copyright aspects must be taken into account. A licence regulates the conditions for subsequent use:
- Creative Commons FAQs: https://creativecommonsusa.org/index.php/frequently-asked-questions/ (CC BY)
- Open Access Network (2023). The 101 of Creative Commons licenses. YouTube playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQRPzIvVB_TO7dopvz38mlczjvqkgKHFg
Research data from social media and Big Data
Social science research is increasingly using data from social media and the web. There are a number of organisational, legal and ethical issues associated with this:
- Breuer, J., Al Baghal, T., Sloan, L., Bishop, L., Kondyli, D., & Linardis, A. (2021). Informed consent for linking survey and social media data - Differences between platforms and data types. IASSIST Quarterly, 45(1). https://doi.org/10.29173/iq988 (CC BY-NC)
- Breuer, J., Bishop, L., & Kinder-Kurlanda, K. (2020). The practical and ethical challenges in acquiring and sharing digital trace data: Negotiating public-private partnerships. New Media & Society, 22(11), 2058–2080. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444820924622
- RatSWD [German Data Forum] (2020): Big data in social, behavioural, and economic sciences: Data access and research data management. RatSWD Output 4 (6). Berlin, German Data Forum (RatSWD). https://doi.org/10.17620/02671.52