data in qualitative data acquisitions process louise corti esds qualidata, ukda iassist workshop 27...

DATA INQualitative Data Acquisitions

Process

Louise CortiESDS Qualidata, UKDA

IASSIST WORKSHOP 27 May 2003

UKDA Acquisitions Review

• All potential acquisitions data come via the UKDA Acquisitions Review Committee (ARC)

• All potential depositors complete a brief data submission form

• ARC reviews all new ‘Acquisitions’ and ‘Submissions’ in accordance with the UKDA Collections Development Policy

• ARC makes decisions about:– Acceptance or rejection– Data processing standard

Qualitative data criteria

• the relative importance or impact of the study eg. research recognised to have had a major influence in its field and/or representing the working life of a significant researcher

• complementary to existing data holdings

• popularity of the study topic (health, criminology, social policy)

• data that have further analytic potential than the original investigation.

• based on national samples

• mixed methods data

Minimum acceptance criteria

• data are documented to a minimum standard

• Data are in appropriate formats (digital where possible)

• Data are complete, or documented if missing items

• confidentiality, data protection and copyright issues have been addressed

Appropriate formats

• Digital text:– Preferred: RTF, XML, SGML, plain text – Acceptable: Word, HTML, WP, paper – Problematic: CAQDAS packages

• Digital audio or video – Preferred: MP-3 – Acceptable: MSWav

• Images (photos, docs etc)– Preferred: TIFF, PNG – Acceptable: GIF, BMP – Unacceptable: PDF

Data processing standards

• A* standard – Very strong re-use value for secondary analysis and/or

teaching in the FE and HE sectors (> 25 users in the first ten years of release).

• A standard – Strong re-use value for secondary analysis and/or

teaching in the FE and HE sectors (10 to 25 users)

• B standard – Moderate re-use value for secondary analysis and/or

teaching in the FE and HE sectors (1 to 10 users)

• C standard – Low re-use value for secondary analysis and/or

teaching in the FE and HE sectors (zero or 1 user)

The paper mountain

• Much older data in paper format

• Will digitise: – Scan and OCR for A/A* processing– Scan as image files for B level

• Will help place larger non-digital collections in traditional other archives across the UK – Often selectively digitise ‘highlights’

• May digitise sound bytes from audio cassette

CAQDAS value-added products

• Speaker tags (turn takers)

• Coded data

• Annotated data/ integrated research notes

• Variable matrices e.g. gender; age; etc.

• Generally CANNOT export these materials – though a couple of suppliers are building XML export functionality

…but more of that more later…

Useful archival material currently exported from CAQDAS

• Raw data files - anonymised

• Final list of codes

• Models/flow charts/diagrams etc.

• Cumulative/chronological memos/research journals

• Analytic notes

• Index or description of files

• Tables of reference links from data to codes to memo

• Variable matrices

• Interview summaries

Keeping tabs on researchers and their data

REACTIVE and PROACTIVE

• Updated database of ESRC awards

• Lists collated of ‘classic studies’

• Lists of other data sources to target

• Continue to chase data creators – annual basis

• Ambulance chasing….obituary watching

Locating data …obtaining data

• Sometime very long lead time between locating data and acquiring data

• Record = 9 years (data promised in 1994)

• Letting go of data can be painful….

• May require extensive ‘negotiation’ about certain issues

Final stages beforedata processing

• Depositor to complete license form – may apply access restrictions

• Complete data collection depositor’s form for catalogue record

• New downloadable form – will drop straight into catalogue record (DDI)

database!– Used as the basis for cataloguing

To data processing…

…covered by John