The Bremen Qualiservice
has been around in a pilot state for many years, and has had active contact
with the UK – Qualidata in 1997, and the UK Data Archive since. In this time,
Louise Corti, Service Director of Collections Development and Data Publishing
at the UK Data Service, has supported various bids and sits on their Advisory
Board. We are delighted to hear that the Qualiservice has now been formally
supported by the DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) as a data service
centre. Qualiservice, in its implementation phase, has the GESIS Leibniz
Institute for Social Sciences and the State and University Library Bremen
(SuUB) as critical partners and it has chosen PANGEA, the data publisher as its
information technology partner.
In April, Louise, was invited to an interdisciplinary
workshop organised by the GermanData Forum (RatSWD) at the University of Bremen to discuss a national
strategy for qualitative data sharing and archiving. The German Data Forum
accredits data centres according to transparent, uniform standards, and the
country now has a network of over 30 centres, giving researchers access to a
wide range of relevant data. RatSWD recognises that researchers need a highly
evolved and sustainable research infrastructure, which is a result of
independent initiatives from within the scientific community.
At the April workshop, some 50 researchers gathered to
discuss and debate solutions for the archiving and reuse of qualitative
research data. They evaluated previous experiences, and discussed critical
challenges for archiving and secondary use, as well as gathering requirements
for an improved archiving infrastructure in Germany.
As in many other countries, Germany has suffered a lack of
sustainable strategy and provision for archiving qualitative research data. The
meeting raised epistemological, ethical and practical issues in data sharing,
and heard concerns from those engaged in immersive research. Louise presented on 20 years of work
in the UK, showing the growth of data sharing and reuse in qualitative
research. She acknowledged that cultural change can be slow, but that putting
in place some formal infrastructure and support service, that recognises the
needs of individual specialist communities, can create a future of data culture
of exchange and secondary use.
She explained how the data teams at UKDS have built up years
of experience and awareness of the issues confronted by researchers and their data
regarding the reality of sharing their outputs. There is great emphasis on
advocacy, support and training for managing and sharing data, to make sure it
becomes more familiar across all disciplines. The UK has had many years to
embed principles and everyday practices of data sharing, and our methods
literature embraces arguments for and against data sharing and secondary
analysis, so Germany can learn from the UK, and feel relieved to hear that
hostility, confusion and protest are not uncommon as research communities
adjust to new practices.
Louise says: “I am so pleased that qualitative
data now has its place at the data table in Germany, and warmly congratulate
Andreas Witzel and his colleagues that have come after him in continuing to
press for a voice. I wish Qualiservice all the best.” She will continue to sit
on their international Advisory Board as the service takes shape.