Data Management for ESRC Research Centres and Programmes3 November 2009

Jennifer NewmanCommunications Manager (Maternity Cover)

How does an ESRC Centre engage with the ESRC Data Policy: Experiences from COMPAS

Background 

ESRC Centre on Migration, Policy and Society, University of Oxford (Department of Anthropology). Established in 2003. Initial grant of £3.7 million to 2008. Second tranche of funding secured for the period to 2013.

 Directors

  Oct 2003 – July 2007: Steven VertovecJuly 2007 – Nov 2008: Nicholas Van Hear (Acting Director)Nov 2008 – to date: Michael Keith

Support Staff  Currently 4 support staff, none of whom have been here since beginning. Administrator,

Communications Manager, Administrative Officer (role changing) and Centre Secretary.Communications Manager (Emma Newcombe) currently on maternity leave from May 2009 to May 2010

Research Programme2003 – 2008: 5 research programmes, each headed by a senior researcher. 2009 – To date: 4 inter-related thematic research clusters. Intention: to create cross-cluster research and more cohesive Centre.

Contractual Obligation to ESDS Applicable to period to September 2008.50 page contract issued by ESRC in 2003. Page 5, Section 6: Survey Data 

6.1 The Research centre is required to deposit with the ESRC Economic and Social data Service (ESDS) a coded set of any data collected. The Research Centre will consult the Director of the ESDS at the earliest opportunity to ensure that the appropriate technical procedures are maintained. See Appendix A. 12

 Appendix A. 12: 

The Research Centre is required to offer to deposit a copy of its coded data with the ESRC Economic and Social data Service (ESDS), for eventual use by other researchers. The Research Centre will consult the ESDS at the earliest opportunity (if possible well before any survey is put into the field) in order to ensure that the appropriate technical procedures to this end are built in from the outset. The copy should be transferred to the ESDS as early in the project as feasible, and at the latest within 3 months of termination of the award. All enquiries about the procedures for this should be addressed to the Director of ESDS at the University of Essex.

Good Intentions vs. the White Elephant

• ESDS half day seminar at COMPAS: necessary requirements for data collection, submission and archiving.

• After this point, contact with ESDS was limited.

• Assumed that researchers would take personal responsibility for complying with the requirements or that it was something that could be dealt with at a later date.

Why?

How the issue came to be neglected

End of the award

What Happened Next: Practicalities

List of Datasets

• Complete list of potential datasets had to be compiled. Proved to be difficult as some people did not even have a list of their own sets.

• Eventually compiled a list of all eligible projects, which was then further separated into the following categories:

1. Potential projects/datasets to be submitted2. Projects with no datasets3. Ongoing projects yet to be completed4. Projects where COMPAS does not own the data /set to be submitted separately.

• For those identified as ‘potential datasets to be submitted’, forms were completed by the individual researchers.

• Emma submitted the complete set of forms within the allocated time. Although she reiterated that she would not be check the forms and that ESDS from then on would deal with individual researchers directly. ).

• Forms and supporting material were submitted and the decision awaited.

What Happened Next: Practicalities

Preparing Data

• Started to prepare datasets that were either thought likely to be requested or were particularly large.

• Largely involved anonymising data but, in some cases involved transcription.• Logistical Problem of having someone available to prepare data retrospectively within the

time frame set out. • Data protection was identified as most pressing issue.• Asked that student sign data protection agreement , created by COMPAS –unable find a

precedent for this • Wanted to ensure that the raw data would be dealt with responsibly • Physically transferred data onto his own computer.

The Decision

• Favourable outcome for COMPAS staff• Some felt that the criteria ESDS used for choosing which sets should be requested was

unclear • Hasn’t helped us develop a more systematic dataset collation method as yet.

Issues, Comments and Suggestions

1. Externally and Co-funded projects

2. Data Protection and Confidentiality Issues

3. Data License Agreement

4. (Perceived) Relationship between ESRC and ESDS

5. Integrate Datasets into Internal Systems more successfully

Conclusion Experience of Dealing with ESDS

Despite the issues that have faced COMPAS, everyone has stressed how positive the response of ESDS has been – which is also evident in their aims in holding this conference.

The website provides an invaluable source of information – and apologies if any of the points raised are covered by documents we haven’t uncovered online.

Willing to help as far as possible, as shown by the seminar held back in 2003. The patience and helpfulness of Julie Missen was also acknowledged by Emma and some of the

researchers, who was extremely tolerant of all our enquiries. Overall 

Datasets should have more precedence in the minds of researchers than they currently do.The importance of them should not be underestimated.Processes need to be in place and adhered to within our Research centre for this to happen.ESRC and ESDS help in would undoubtedly help to achieve this.