Scientific Data (Jan 2024)

A General Primer for Data Harmonization

  • Cindy Cheng,
  • Luca Messerschmidt,
  • Isaac Bravo,
  • Marco Waldbauer,
  • Rohan Bhavikatti,
  • Caress Schenk,
  • Vanja Grujic,
  • Tim Model,
  • Robert Kubinec,
  • Joan Barceló

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-02956-3
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 1
pp. 1 – 14

Abstract

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Data harmonization is an important method for combining or transforming data. To date however, articles about data harmonization are field-specific and highly technical, making it difficult for researchers to derive general principles for how to engage in and contextualize data harmonization efforts. This commentary provides a primer on the tradeoffs inherent in data harmonization for researchers who are considering undertaking such efforts or seek to evaluate the quality of existing ones. We derive this guidance from the extant literature and our own experience in harmonizing data for the emergent and important new field of COVID-19 public health and safety measures (PHSM).