The application of GESIS- Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences for a strategic extension to establish a research data infrastructure for Digital Behavioral Data has taken a decisive hurdle. Based on an in-depth technical assessment, the German Council of Science and Humanities has rated the application as "very good".
"This assessment confirms our view that the social sciences urgently need sustained support in developing methods for collecting and analyzing Digital Behavioral Data (DVD). We are very pleased that this confirms the need for such an infrastructure for the science system" welcomed Prof. Dr. Christof Wolf, President of GESIS the decision.
"We have put a lot of work into preparing this idea and are grateful that the Science Council (Wissenschaftsrat) has now confirmed the scientific quality as well as the science policy significance of this project" added Prof. Dr. Markus Strohmaier, scientific coordinator DVD at GESIS and professor for methodology and theory of computer-based humanities and social sciences at RWTH Aachen University.
The term digital behavioral data encompasses all traces of human behavior that are created or can be harnessed through the use of digital technology. On the one hand, this includes data from mobile digital devices, e.g., smartphones, tablets, or wearables (e.g., fitness trackers) as well as data from the Internet, e.g., from social media or digital marketplaces. This means that digital behavioral data is often Big Data, but not necessarily so. Even small samples of digital behavior can offer innovative research approaches for scientists.