Qualitative Data Repository 2016-2018

Syracuse University, Syracuse NY

Investigators

Abstract

General Summary The Qualitative Data Repository's (QDR) central mission is to ingest, curate, store, preserve, publish, and enable the download of digital data arising from qualitative and multi-method research in the social sciences. The repository also develops, disseminates, and promotes standards and techniques for managing, sharing, and reusing qualitative data, and pursuing research transparency. NSF funding helps to increase QDR's data holdings; develop additional functionality (emphasizing scaling, interoperability, usability, and tools for transparency); expand expertise in qualitative data management; and increase efforts to teach these qualitative data-management skills. Additionally, the project seeks to further integrate QDR into the social science publication infrastructure and the data management community. The QDR vigorously promotes the effective management, sharing, and reuse of qualitative data, and engagement in research transparency. Technical Summary QDR seeks to advance the storage and availability of qualitative data in five ways : (1) governance - developing internal management structures and policies and engaging with the broader data-management community; (2) technical capacity - securing the hardware to house, and developing the software to enable the deposit, indexing, search, and download of qualitative data; (3) content - soliciting and curating qualitative data projects for secondary analysis, to increase research transparency, and to enhance teaching; (4) ideational frameworks - developing the intellectual framework for, a language to talk about, techniques and practices to engage in, and guidance to facilitate data sharing and transparency in qualitative research; and (5) promulgation and persuasion - stimulating and participating in debate and dialogue to generate standards for sharing qualitative data, conducting secondary data analysis, evaluating empirical research, and teaching with data, and encouraging and teaching people to do so. QDR has the potential to broaden the access of scholars from around the world to a wealth of qualitative social science data. The repository encourages intellectual exchange and the formation and growth of epistemic communities, and serves as a platform for research networks and partnerships.