Data-PASS/NDIIPP: A new effort to harvest our history IASSIST/IFDO 2005 May, 25, 2005

“Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe.” --H.G. Wells (1920) The Outline of History

Data-PASS: The Partners ICPSR Roper Center Odum Institute Henry A. Murray Research Archive Harvard-MIT Data Center National Archives and Records Administration

Data-PASS: The Plan Identify significant data collections (classic) Identify important contemporary data (that are “at risk”) Develop common standards and procedures across partnership

Types of Data Macro- and micro-data Respondent-level survey data Data collected for research purposes Data produced as a by-product of running or administering a public or private program Methodologically innovative social science research data

Project Phases Phase 1. Identification and Selection Phase 2. Acquisition Phase 3. Partnership Building Phase 4. Retention and Transfer

Phase 1. Identification and Selection Identify data collections Design and implement a selection criteria Design and implement an appraisal criteria

Content Selection Criteria Classics of Social Science  examining lists of classics  ad hoc advisory committees Federally-Funded Research Data  CRISP (Computer Retrieval of Information on Scientific Projects) searchable database of Federally funded biomedical research projects  NSF Award Search

Content Selection Criteria Federally Produced Data  United States Information Agency Data Political Process Data  Data holdings related to local, state, and national elections  State-level polling data

Content Selection Criteria Private Organization Research Data  advisory committee of researchers from private research organizations Vulnerable Data in Specialty Archives  small “ad hoc” or single subject archives or archives that have temporary funding

Data Website:

Appraisal Guidelines Significance of the data for research Significance of the source and context of the data Uniqueness of the information Usability of the data

Appraisal Guidelines Timeframe covered by the information Relationship of the data to other data in the archives Cost considerations Volume of data

Phase 2. Acquisition Determine which partner will acquire and process each data collection Create basic guidelines for the acquisition/processing of data collections Review collections for disclosure risks Identify the extent of required metadata

Phase 3. Partnership Develop common standards and activities Determine how the partnership can expand Use technological advances to encourage metadata standards and a shared catalog

Phase 4. Content Retention / Transfer Establish common standards for the security of project materials Review and “refresh” both the media and the storage format of all collections Create database describing restrictions on the use of data

“Anybody can make history. Only a great man can write it.” --Oscar Wilde (1891)

For More Information Darrell Donakowski