Edna Greene Medford, Ph.D. Department of History

What data management issues have you faced? What were the immediate and long- term consequences to your research project? How did you resolve these issues?

To ensure quality of collection To ensure ease of accessibility To maintain integrity of data once collected To safeguard the privacy of human subjects

Poor quality control in data collection Insufficient or unclear file naming system Inconsistency in documenting sources Incomplete field notes or recorded data Loss of data through carelessness or failure to back up

Field notes Transcribed interviews Focus group transcripts Photos Newspapers Government documents, laws, court records Speeches, addresses, letters, diaries Audio and video recordings Observations

Establish and follow quality control procedures Organize data into clearly delineated files Determine storage medium Back up copies Ensure authenticity and version control

Determine before collection how you wish to proceed Be clear on your methodology and aware of its limitations Transcribe carefully and accurately Document thoroughly

Ensure that each file/document is clearly and properly named Abstract each file; identify themes and information relevant to your study Cross-reference with other documents/files of similar subject matter

If digitized data, determine best medium for storage (USB drives, CDs, DVDs, etc.) Utilize best practices for securing storage devices If data is to be stored on hard drive, ensure that computer is secure

Identify file/document versionfirst draft, revised, final, etc. Indicate what changes have been made Retain original or older files

Select an alternative storage medium Store at least one copy of data off-site Retain original, non-digitized data (including notes, interview consent forms, etc.) at the conclusion of the project/research

Using your specific discipline as example, what procedures have been implemented to ensure quality control in data collection and management?