Data preparation for publication with QualiService¶
Before data can be published with QualiService the data needs to be prepared for completeness, metadata and legal issues.
To ensure that the publication process runs as smoothly as possible, this section explains the aspects that need to be implemented before the actual work with the data can begin, distinguishing between
It is highly advisable to involve Qualiservice at the proposal stage to ensure an adequate process and that sufficient financial and human resources are considered. Depending on which data is collected, there are different factors that must be taken into account, e.g. how the declaration of consent of the interview partners is formulated due to the degree of sensitivity of the data.
Organizational preparation¶
Data transfer agreements¶
A data transfer agreement, which is drawn up individually for each project, is agreed with Qualiservice for the publication process. In this agreement, it is possible to contractually agree specific regulations and requirements for subsequent use for the project. The data transfer agreement forms the contractual basis for the data transfer. Qualiservice has a sample template (LINK?) that can be adapted to the requirements of the specific project or institution in question. These special features can relate to
- parts of the data set that require special protection,
- the release for teaching purposes or
- the definition of a time limit for subsequent use.
These special features are then recorded in the data transfer agreement. Details are also discussed as to which data is anonymized or pseudonymized and how the originals are handled.
The cost breakdown is also set out in the data transfer agreement. The amount of work required by Qualiservice is calculated depending on the amount of work involved in data utilization. It must therefore be ensured from the outset that a budget is available for the cooperation with the Qualiservice.
Important: In this step, it is important to contact the legal department (internal link) and the data protection officer. The data transfer agreement is coordinated and finalized in consultation with these two departments; this is the only way this agreement can be concluded.
User agreement¶
The user agreement is concluded with those scientists who wish to reuse a dataset for research and/or teaching purposes. The user agreement is an annex to the data transfer agreement. Qualiservice also has a sample template (LINK?) for this and the terms of use are adapted according to the wording in the data transfer agreement.
Organization of the data¶
Consent forms¶
The preparation of the data includes the creation of declarations of consent for the implementation, utilization and archiving of the data. This declaration of consent is concluded between
- A) the person generating the data (e.g. interviewer) and
- B) the person providing the data and information (e.g. interviewee).
This ensures that the data may be used afterwards, e.g. the audio files or transcripts during an interview. Qualiservice has sample templates (LINK?) for these declarations of consent. It is advisable to finalize these with the data protection officer at the UFZ.
File names¶
To avoid time-consuming post-processing, it makes sense to name the files as specified by Qualiservice right from the beginning. In exceptional cases, e.g. if the data is subsequently processed and data naming already exists, exceptions can be clarified. In any case, it is important to recognize from the naming which data types are involved (e.g. interview, memo, postscript) and to which case they are assigned and how materials of a case are linked to each other.
Anonymization/pseudonymization¶
To comply with the requirements of the GDPR, it is important that personal data is protected. For subsequent use, it is important to keep the information content as comprehensive as possible.
Pseudonymization or anonymization takes place in the research project. Qualiservice supports the project and we work together to create a joint concept based on a QualiService manual. Software tools for anonymization and pseudonymization can be found in this list.
After handover to Qualiservice, the data is anonymized or pseudonymized and the materials are examined in detail by subject specialists as part of the curation process. It is important that the procedure for replacing personal information is briefly documented and made recognizable in the text so that the curators and subsequent users can get an idea of the changes made to the original.
Contextualization & documentation of the creation of the data set¶
To be able to reuse qualitative data, it is necessary to embed it in the context in which it was created. A study report is therefore a minimum requirement for archiving a dataset. The study report embeds the data in its context of origin and informs reusers and, together with the metadata, forms the dataset's showcase to the outside world.
The study report is searchable as a full text in the Qualiservice search portal and is published by the Bremen State and University Library. Like the dataset, it also receives a persistent identifier (DOI) and is therefore permanently citable. There is a handout for guidance through the process. The Qualiservice has an author template (TBD) in German (TBD) and English (TBD), you can decide for yourself which language suits the project better.
Metadata¶
To make your dataset searchable and findable, it is equipped with FAIR metadata. The following form must be completed for this:
(Please note that the forms content is not cached or saved during the process.)