Five Suggestions Towards User-Centred Data Repositories in the Social Sciences

Abstract

Data repositories for the social sciences are facing some discipline-specific challenges. This essay provides an overview of the four key challenges. In addition, five suggestions are made to strengthen domain-specific online data repositories in the social sciences, supported by good practices. Using a user-centred approach, these suggestions aim to further open up the social sciences data landscape. The essay first addresses insights regarding the sharing of quantitative and qualitative data in light of the specific needs and issues regarding these two types of data. Thereafter, we suggest (i) ‘data labs’ for novice data re-users, (ii) advocate for the repository as an online meeting place for researchers, (iii&iv) argue for two concrete metadata approaches for quantitative and qualitative data separately, (v) provide ideas for handling epistemological challenges of data sharing, and (vi) introduce the data repository as a possible contact medium for research participants.

Keywords

• open science
• data sharing
• user-centred design
• data archives
• methodology
• social science