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Comparative Survey Research and Study Documentation Needs The Data Archive Perspective. Brigitte Hausstein GESIS/Central Archive for Empirical Social Research, Cologne/Berlin. Topics. 1. Comparative Survey Research. 2. Study Documentation and Metadata.
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Comparative Survey Research and Study Documentation NeedsThe Data Archive Perspective Brigitte Hausstein GESIS/Central Archive for Empirical Social Research, Cologne/Berlin IISP Conference: From National Archives towards United Structure of Social Science. Moscow, December 9, 2005
Topics 1. Comparative Survey Research 2. Study Documentation and Metadata 3. Documenting a Comparative Survey Series IISP Conference: From National Archives towards United Structure of Social Science. Moscow, December 9, 2005
Comparative Survey Research Comparative research methods are used in cross-cultural studies to: • identify • analyse • explain similarities and differencesacross societies
Comparative Survey Research Rokkan (1969): Comparative surveys “… are methodological and strategically much more important than other studies: They offer a much better basis for serious and systematic consideration of comparability and equivalence issues, of questions about the logic of cross-national and cross-culture research design, and of the organizational options in such undertakings.”
Comparative Survey Research • Eurobarometer • European/World Values Survey (WVS/EVS) • International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) More recently: • European Social Survey (ESS) • Central and Eastern Eurobarometer (CEEB) • Candidate Countries Barometer (CCEB) • New Democracy Barometer (NDB) • Comparative Study of Electoral Systems (CSES) • Latinobarometer • Afrobarometer • Asiabarometer
Study Documentation • Internal project documentation (data producers) • Secondary analysis (data users) Exhaustive enough for others • to evaluate or replicate the findings • to be able to use the data for their own research
Data Producer: Codes of Best Practice Manuals for survey quality management and Codes of Best Practice provided by professional associations such as: • American Association for Public Opinion Research (www.aapor.org) • ESOMAR (www.esomar.nl) • British Market Research Quality Standard Association (www.bmra.org.uk)
Study Documentation Social science data archives have standard requirements for documentation of studies that are related to their role as holders and publisher of data.
Bridge between Data Producers and Users • Users rarely engaged in creation of a data set • Other research purpose than intended by the creators (secondary analysis) • Use of data many years after they were created • Comparing and combining data from different sources
Adding Value to Data Collections • Cleaning procedures to ensure their integrity • Software dependencies are stripped away • Comprehensive computer-readable metadata are developed • Integration and harmonization of data from comparative surveys • Electronic search and retrieval systems (catalogues) • Interactive statistical laboratories
Why High Quality Metadata? • Metadata is vital for any research discovery • Metadata provides the maps that are needed to navigate a complex data source • Bridge between data producers and users • Metadata might provide links to reports, further studies, relevant persons and institutions
Main Components of Metadata • Catalogue/study description • Codebook/data dictionary • User Guide Over the years many initiatives to create metadata standards
Data Documentation Initiative (1) 1994: International program to produce a metadata specification for the description of social science data resources 2000: First official version of the DDI Specification 2003: Version 2.0 2006: Version 3.0
Data Documentation Initiative (2) DDI is an effort to establish an international criterion and methodology for content • presentation • transportation and • preservation of metadata about datasets in social sciences. Development of a Document Type Definition (DTD) for “marking up” codebooks
Documenting Comparative Survey Series • European Values Survey Database 1999 • Central and Eastern Eurobarometer 1990-1997 • Candidate Countries Barometer 2001-2004 • Childhood, Youth and Growing Up 1991-1997 • Continuity Guide to German National Elections • European Voter 1956-2001 ZA CODEBOOKEXPLORER May 2004 Version 3.2 W.Zenk-Möltgen Zentralarchiv für Empirische Sozialforschung an der Universität zu Köln, Germany
CEEB CodebookExplorerCD ROM Version CEEB TREND View Study View Country View
CEEB CodebookExplorerInternet Version https://info1.za.gesis.org/cei/db.asp?db=CEEB