archiving our social science digital history

Archiving our Social Science Archiving our Social Science

Digital HistoryDigital History

ECURE 2005March 1, 2005

Presentation Overview• Background Information

• The ICPSR Process

• New Directives

Background• Established in 1962

• Membership-based organization, with over 500 member colleges and universities around the world

• Encourages and facilitates research and instruction in the social sciences and related areas

Background• 2004-2005 budget approximately $10 million

• Around 100 employees; 40 data-processing staff

• World’s largest archive of computer-readable social science data

ICPSR’s Mission• Acquire social science data

• Preserve social science data in perpetuity

• Assist with the use of social science data for research

• Assist with the use of social science data for teaching

Our data holdings cover a broad range of disciplines• Political Science• History• Foreign Policy• Economics• Education

• Criminal Justice• Law• Public Health• Foreign Policy• Gerontology

Two Kinds of Archival Holdings:

• General Archive Holdings are funded with member dues and are available only to members

• Special Topic Archives are supported by foundations or federal agencies and are available to all

Special Topic Archives:• Child Care and Early Education Research

Connections• Health and Medical Care Archive• International Archive of Education Data• National Archive of Criminal Justice Data• National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data

Archive

Confidentiality• Confidentiality review of all contents of the data

collection

• Disclosure analysis

• Public Use version vs. Restricted Use version of data

Restricted Use Data• Several dozen data collections

• Restricted Use Agreement

• No copy is stored online or on a file server connected to any network

• Secure Data Enclave

Downloading Data• Immediate downloads to the user’s desktop

• Supporting documentation and setups for statistical packages supplied

• Technical support provided

Web-based finding aids for resource discovery:

• Detailed metadata about each collection

• Robust field-specific search capability

• Thesaurus - 4,500+ social science keywords

• Bibliography of data-related publications (over 35,000 citations)

Research Directions:• Analysis of procedures to limit disclosure risk

• Data Documentation Initiative (DDI) to develop standards for XML markup of social science materials

New This Year• Data for Demographic Research (sponsored

by Demographic & Behavioral Sciences Branch @ NICHD)

• Data-PASS (sponsored by the Library of Congress)

Data Sharing for Demographic Research • Collaboration with:

– the Carolina Population Center (CPC) – the Minnesota Population Center (MPC) – Population Studies Center (PSC)

• Supported by the Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Data-PASS: The Partners• ICPSR

• Roper Center

• Odum Institute

• Murray Center

• Virtual Data Center

• National Archives

Data-PASS: The Plan• Identify significant data collections

(classic)

• Identify important contemporary data (that are “at risk”)

• Develop common standards and procedures across partnership

For More Information• Website: www.icpsr.umich.edu

• Darrell Donakowskidwdonako@icpsr.umich.edu734.615.7664