270 likes | 413 Views
Data curation standards and the messy world of social science occupational information resources. Paper presented to the 2nd International Digital Curation Conference, 21-22 nd November 2006, Glasgow. GEODE – www.geode.stir.ac.uk. Grid Enabled Occupational Data Environment
E N D
Data curation standards and the messy world of social science occupational information resources Paper presented to the 2nd International Digital Curation Conference, 21-22nd November 2006, Glasgow. GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
GEODE – www.geode.stir.ac.uk Grid Enabled Occupational Data Environment • Operate as a ‘portal’ • User friendly access to occupational data • High volume use • Support a community of occupational data providers • Depository of occupational information resources • Limited volume use • Experiment with / promote ‘e-Social Science’ GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
(Part 1) Occupational analyses in the social sciences “A man’s work is as good a clue as any to the course of his life and to his social being and identity” (Hughes, 1958) (Quotes as reproduced in Coxon and Jones 1978; Crompton 1998) “Nothing stamps a man as much as his occupation. Daily work determines the mode of life.. It constrains our ideas, feelings and tastes” (Goblot, 1961) “The backbone of the class structure, and indeed of the entire reward system of modern Western society, is the occupational order” (Parkin, 1972) GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
Why is occupational research ‘messy’? Two stage process: • Collect & preserve ‘source occupational data’ • Summary / translation of source data • This model is a ‘scientific’ approach • Published documentation (at both stages) • Replicable • Validation exercises • But social researchers have been not been good at using it… • (Bechhofer 1969; Marsh 1986; Rose and Pevalin 2003) GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
{Stage 1 - Collecting Occupational Data – Examples} GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
{Stage 1 - Collecting occupational data – summary} • All methods lead eventually to coding to an occupational index scheme: • Occupational Unit Groups • Standardised Industrial Classifications • Standardised employment status classifications • Occupational index schemes are the point of departure for GEODE GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
Stage 2: Summary / translation of source occ. data • Published ‘occupational information resources’ used to link source data, via an index scheme, with substantively meaningful measures • Social class schemes • Stratification scales • Gender segregation statistics • Labour process statistics • Coding by fiat • (Allocation by ‘expert’ social scientist) • Lack of documentation / replicability / consistency • Unscientific… GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
What’s the problem? But… • Low uptake of existing occupational information resources • Strict security constraints on users’ micro-social survey data • Problems in the formatting / distribution of occupational information resources (Part 2) GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
Handling Occupational Information • Messy because: • Large volume of occupational information resources • Limited coordination between resources • Inconsistencies in access and exploitation processes Occupational information resources are used to interpret occupational records GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
Some illustrative occupational information resources GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
Occupational information resources • Large volumesof occupational information resources • Coverage across countries and time periods • Different research fields / topics • Dynamic: updates to occupational information resources • Internet based distributions lead to duplication and expansion, e.g. ISEI - ISCO translation files at: • PISA webpages (Ganzeboom) • IDEAS/Repec webpagees (Hendrickx) • CAMSIS occupational data webpage Some maths: • 100+ alternative index schemes (OUGs; others) X • 500+ alternative output measures (class schemes, etc) GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
Occupational information resources Limited coordination • Varying metadata practices • Coordinated structure, e.g. ISEI at IDEAS/Repec [rare] • Natural language, e.g. CAMSIS [common] • No documentation • Varying data file formats • SPSS, Stata, Plain text • One-way distribution • Internet download; text publications • Gaps between NSI’s and academic researchers • NSI’s make regular changes to favoured resources GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
Occupational information resources Limited coordination (ctd) • Varying translation rules • One file for all occupations (‘universal’) • Multiple files for different contexts (‘specific’) • Different occupational index requirements GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
Occupational information resources Inconsistencies in access / exploitation • Occupational Unit Group schemes’ variants • Decennial updates / International variations • Localised adaptations [e.g. HESA] / Survey variations [e.g. GHS] • Numeric or string format preservation • Hierarchical organisations • E.g. ISCO-88 • 1234 123 12 1 • 110 = 0110 11 1 0 • Focus for application of occupational data • Individual level measures • Household / career contexts GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
Returning to the occupational research model Two stage process: • Collection & preservation of ‘source occupational data’ • Summary / translation of source data via occupational information resources • Critically, stage (2) places responsibility for reviewing occupational information resources with the social scientist • The volume of variants / inconsistencies isn’t huge, but is enough to impede easy application GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
(Part 2) Curating Occupational Data • GEODE – Grid Enabled Occupational Data Environment • Core provision: support the management of and access to occupational information resources • ‘Occupational information depository’ • Easy access to occupational data (portal for occupational data) GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
Metadata - Occupational information depository How to facilitate searching, registering, accessing index service? • Establish a ‘GEODE-M’ meta-data subset (.xml) • Founded on Michigan Data Documentation Initiative • Semantic curation of occupational information GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
Benefits of DDI-XML curation XML suits: • OGSA-DAI • (data access & integration, www.ogsadai.org.uk) • Supports data indexing / preservation / management • Supports secure data matching programme • Could facilitate analytical queries • ‘Gridsphere’ search programmes • Data curation standards • DDI widely deployed in social science resources • XML accessibility / transferability • Repeatability of tags very helpful • E.g. data files; index measures; contexts; authors GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
Implementing ‘GEODE-M’ metadata • Critical entries: • Context of data [country, time period] • Index scheme • <StdCatgry> : GEODE database of known index scheme • Source uri for resource 2 stage curation process (…?) • Web-proforma for supply of occupational data • Author; context, index units • Gridsphere ‘portlet’ • Manual updating of xml resource by depositor / GEODE members • Gridsphere ‘portlet’ GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
Example issues • <StdCatgry> [Variant implementations <-> indexed translation files] • <context> [cross-country resources] • <producer> role=“formatting” [caters to multiple author roles] • <fileDscr id="dkcherisco88.sav"> [caters to multiple files] • <abstract> GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
Management of GEODE-M curation Metadata considerations • ‘GEODE-M’ as {flexible} recommended components of DDI • GEODE-M templates • webpages at GEODE • Other facilities? Data considerations: • Stored at GEODE v’s Linkage to external data • Proprietary software (plain text / SPSS / STATA) At present: • Stage 1 – automated curation (allows external linkage, any file format) • Stage 2 – extended manual curation (requires GEODE server copy of data, translation to plain text rectangular format • Premised upon small commitment from depositors & GEODE GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
GEODE – user uptake • High potential demand • Numerous queries on occupational data management • Numerous researchers wishing to distribute occupational data • Prototype GEODE services not yet user-friendly • Carrots • High demands for easier access and review • Sticks • Poor standards of many previous research which neglects good review of occupational information • Hurdles • Change research cultures in social science disciplines(?) GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
Conclusions • Occupational data curation and the Grid • Grid facilitates management / access via xml formats (OGSA-DAI) • Current models require moderate specialist input (manual curation) • Grid offers new level of service not previously available • Dynamic coordinated file storage • File matching [security] • Occupational data as case study for focused DDI xml curation • Complex but finite range of occupational information resources • High user demand • Uptake will require combination of motivation, and instigation GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
App 1: e-Social Science ‘The Grid’ and ‘e-Science’: • Online Coordination of electronic resources and collaborations • (Distributed computing) • Large scale • Collaborative • Heterogeneous • Standard protocols / information management systems UK eSocial Science: • Investment in assessing / implementing technology • Computationally demanding data analysis • Qualitative and quantitative data collection technologies • **Data sharing, processing and access** GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
App 2: GEODE architecture GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
App3: {Collecting occupational data} • Follow a recommended process: • ONS good practice • www.statistics.gov.uk/methods_quality/ns_sec/questions.asp • Industry description / occupation description / size of organisation / employment status / supervisory status • Occupation descriptions -> standardised numeric index • Text coding tools, e.g.CASCOT -www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ier/publications/software/cascot/ • Do your own thing: • European Social Survey parental occupational questions • free text description of parental occupations GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
App 4: Summary data: what is the best class scheme? • Published ‘occupational information resources’ link source data, via index scheme, with substantively meaningful measures ‘Occupation-based social classifications’ • Social class schemes • Registrar General’s Social Class Scheme (1907-2001) [skill / prestige] • National Statistics Socio-Economic Classifn. (2002-) [employment relations] • Goldthorpe / CASMIN / EGP (Employment relations) • Wright [ownership and authority] • W.E.S. [female occupational groupings] • Stratification scales • SIOPS [prestige] • ISEI [socio-economic status – education and income average] • CAMSIS [social interaction] {CAMSIS is the best…} GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006