GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006 Data curation standards and the messy world of social science occupational information resources Paper presented to the 2nd International Digital Curation Conference, nd November 2006, Glasgow. Paul Lambert, Larry Tan, Ken Turner, & Vernon GayleUniversity of Stirling Richard SinnottUniversity of Glasgow Ken PrandyCardiff University

GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006 GEODE – 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 (Quotes as reproduced in Coxon and Jones 1978; Crompton 1998) “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) “The backbone of the class structure, and indeed of the entire reward system of modern Western society, is the occupational order” (Parkin, 1972) “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)

GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006 Why is occupational research ‘messy’? Two stage process: 1. Collect & preserve ‘source occupational data’ 2. 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} Example 1: BHPS Occ descriptionEmployment statusSOC-2000EMPST Miner (coal)Employee81227 Police officer (Serg.)Supervisor33126 Electrical engineerEmployee21237 Retail dealer (cars)Self-employed w/e12342 Example 2: European Social Survey, parent’s data Occ descriptionSOC-2000EMPST Miner?8122?6/7 Police officer?3312?6/7 Engineer?? Self employed businessman???1/2

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 a) 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 b) 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) External user (micro-social data) Occ information (index file) (aggregate) User’s output (micro-social data) idougsex.ougCS-MCS-FEGPidougCS I II VIIa

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 Index units# distinct files (average size kb) Updates? CAMSIS, Local OUG*(e.s.) 200 (100)y CAMSIS value labels Local OUG50 (50)n ISEI tools, home.fsw.vu.nl/~ganzeboom Int. OUG20 (50)y E-Sec matrices Int. OUG*(e.s.) 20 (200)n Hakim gender seg codes (Hakim 1998) Local OUG2 (paper)n

GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006 Occupational information resources  Large volumes of 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 ISEICAMSISEGPWright {status scale}{stratification scale}{class scheme} Occ titleOcc title; e.s.; genderOcc title; e.s.Occ conditions

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  123  12  = 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: 1. Collection & preservation of ‘source occupational data’ 2. 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 Release date Country Time period Author Format Missing data Data extensions to differentiate index and output variable groups to reference variable defintions

GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006 Benefits of DDI-XML curation XML suits: OGSA-DAI (data access & integration, 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 : GEODE database of known index scheme Source uri for resource 2 stage curation process (…?) 1) Web-proforma for supply of occupational data Author; context, index units Gridsphere ‘portlet’ 2) Manual updating of xml resource by depositor / GEODE members Gridsphere ‘portlet’

GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006 Example issues [Variant implementations indexed translation files] [cross-country resources] role=“formatting” [caters to multiple author roles] [caters to multiple files] ISEICAMSISEGPWright Occ titleOcc title; e.s.; genderOcc title; e.s.Occ conditions (from ISCO88SOC90; ukempst; gdrSOC90; ukempstSIC92; SUPVIS;.. : 10 [all]; allGB; GB; [all];

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’: 1. Online Coordination of electronic resources and collaborations  (Distributed computing)  Large scale  Collaborative  Heterogeneous 2. Standard protocols / information management systems UK eSocial Science: 1) Investment in assessing / implementing technology 2) Computationally demanding data analysis 3) Qualitative and quantitative data collection technologies 4) **Data sharing, processing and access**

GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006 App 2: GEODE architecture

GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006 App3: {Collecting occupational data} a) Follow a recommended process:  ONS good practice 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/ b) 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? a) 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 ( ) [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…}