This document discusses data collections and some of the challenges associated with them. It defines data collections as collections of numeric data from sources like surveys and polls that are in machine-readable formats. It notes that libraries are increasingly involved in preserving and providing access to institutional research data. Some challenges discussed include the costs associated with subscriptions, selection decisions, supporting user access through finding aids and education, and infrastructure issues around storage, systems, and institutional support. The document emphasizes that metadata standards and data curation are important areas for ensuring long-term preservation and understanding of data collections.

1. Data Collections Bernadette Duffy and Abraham de Jesus LIBR 580 Louise Broadley October 5, 2011

2. What are Data Collections? Data from surveys, opinion polls, climate data Numeric data in machine-readable form To make use of the data files need Codebooks and other supporting files

3. Data Lifecyclefrom DataOne https://www.dataone.org/content/education

4. Libraries and Data Collections Important in academic and special libraries Used by researchers and policy analysts Academic libraries starting to get involved in the preservation of research data from own institution

5. UBC Library Data Serviceshttp://data.library.ubc.ca/

7. The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research at the University of Connecticut http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/ Opinion polls

9. abacus - data set Part 1

10. abacus - data set Part 2

11. Data file

12. Challenge - Cost Strategies to reduce cost for subscription data sets Collaborative purchase with several departments (UC Berkeley) University consortium (UBC, SFU, UVic, UNBC combined to form BC Research Libraries’ Data Services consortium – abacus http://abacus.library.ubc.ca/

14. Challenge - Supporting Access Make visible in Library Catalogue. Convert file formats for use in statistical programs Outreach / education in use of data collection and statistical tools Workshops on data literacy Create a Data Lab Become embedded in course requiring use of data collections

15. Infrastructure Data sets can be highly variable in size. This creates certain infrastructural challenges for storage, institution’s system, and the institution itself.

16. Storage Scalability: “the ability of a system, network, or process, to handle growing amounts of work in a graceful manner or its ability to be enlarged to accommodate that growth.” (Wikipedia) Location: Does your institution expect to host the data produced by researchers at that institution?

17. Systems Support Network: Can the network handle downloading of large datasets? Hardware: Can the systems support computation over disparate data sets? Software: Do you have statistical programs (like SPSS or R) available for your users? Flexibility: Can your system handle the wide variety of data formats, sizes, and uses? Example of a good system: http://www.devinfo.info/genderinfo/

18. UN Gender Info

19. Institutional Support Workflows: Can your data collections be integrated into the larger collections management framework? Faculty Partnerships: Will faculty work with the library to create data management plans? Mandate: Does your institution consider data collections a priority?

20. Preservation Best practices for data preservation mean that preservation concerns enter in at the earliest point in the data management cycle: creation.

21. Criteria for Preservation Obligation Value Uniqueness Verification Other Cultural Reasons

22. Metadata Plagued by a lack of standards. No international metadata standard for data sets. Needs to give enough context for the data to be understandable. No clear citation practice has emerged for data sets. Data Documentation Initiative (DDI)

23. Wrap-Up What is a data collection? A collection of the data resulting from research. They have unique challenges for selection, access, infrastructure, and preservation. Data Curation is an up and coming field in librarianship. Librarians are uniquely poised to be involved in the recent surge of interest in data.