Cessda expert tour guide

I’d say I am a rather organised person
I’d say I am somewhere in between
I’d say I am rather disorganised

Your answer: I’d say I am a rather organised person

Congratulations! You are certainly a data management type of person and you will appreciate this guide. We hope DMEG will be a valuable assistant to your well-organised workflow. In Chapter 2, you will find data management tips and tricks that will certainly improve your skills. And by the way, following our data management recommendations will not only help you in your work but also increase your chances of success in funding competitions.

Your answer: I’d say I am somewhere in between

Well, then DMEG will certainly help you to organise and structure data and documents and to smoothen your workflow. Have a look at Chapter 2, which will show you benefits of using a Data Management Plan (DMP) and will present you the FAIR principles. Following our data management recommendations will not only help you in your work but also increase your chances of success in funding competitions.

Your answer: I’d say I am rather disorganised

You have just found the tool that will take you out of the labyrinth. In this guide, you will find many useful tips and recommendations to organise and structure your data and documents. Using information from Chapter 2 , you will be able to properly organise and document your data and metadata. Moreover, by following our recommendations for using a Data Management Plan (DMP) and FAIR principles you will increase your chances of success in funding competitions.

Q2: Do you know what a Data Management Plan (DMP) is?

Yes, I know exactly what it is
Yes, but I have only a vague idea about what it is
No, I have no clue what it is

Your answer: Yes, I know exactly what it is

Great! Although you know what a DMP is, you may want to know about European diversity concerning DMPs. Check out Chapter 1 Plan and discover DMP requirements in several European countries.

Your answer: Yes, but I have only a vague idea about what it is

We have detailed information about the DMP in Chapter 1 Plan. This chapter will certainly help you expand your knowledge so that you can use the DMP to your benefit.

Your answer: No, I have no clue what it is

A DMP is a formal document that provides a framework for how to handle data and related material during and after a research project. In many European countries, the DMP is necessary when you apply for funding for your project proposal. Have look at Chapter 1 Plan and find out more!

Q3: Have you ever created your own dataset of quantitative data?

Yes, I have
No, I haven’t but I might do it eventually
No, I never plan to do that
Your answer: Yes, I have

Well, then you might appreciate our tips for organisation and (re)naming of variables, coding respondents' answers or changing file formats. You will find all this and much more in Chapter 3 Process.

Your answer: No, I haven’t but I might do it eventually

If you are a researcher or a student who wonders how to process, organise and edit your quantitative data, you will definitely find useful information in Chapter 3 Process. You will learn how to organise and (re)name variables, code respondents' answers, change file formats and much more.

Your answer: No, I never plan to do that

If you ever change your mind, you may find useful tips for creating and editing datasets of quantitative data in Chapter 3 Process. In this chapter, we also have something for qualitative researchers; for example, basic information about qualitative data coding.

Q4: Have you ever heard about FAIR data?

Yes, and I know exactly what it is
Yes, but I have only a vague idea what it is
No, I have no clue what it is

Your answer: Yes, and I know exactly what it is

Although you have a clear picture of FAIR data, you might be interested in related topics such as data documentation and metadata. Find out more in Chapter 2 Organise & Document.

Your answer: Yes, but I have only a vague idea what it is

DMEG will give you a clearer picture of the concept of FAIR data, which means that scientific data should be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable. Check out Chapter 1 Plan where there are tips for making your data FAIR.

Your answer: No, I have no clue what it is

DMEG will give you a clearer picture of the concept of FAIR data. which means that scientific data should be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable. Check out Chapter 1 Plan and learn why data should be FAIR and how to make it so.

Q5: Do you know how to safely store your data?

Your answer: Yes

Brilliant! However, you can still make use of our tips and recommendations for data storage. You will find them in Chapter 4 Store.

Your answer: No

Then you should definitely look at Chapter 4 Store and check out the tips and recommendations we have put together, plus some easy steps to get started.

Q6: How confident are you that you know how to protect the identity of respondents in your datasets?

Very
Not very
I have absolutely no idea how to protect the identity of respondents
Your answer: Very

That's great! However, this topic is so important that you might want to check out Chapter 5 Protect, where you will find information about key issues such as informed consent, anonymisation, copyright and others.

Your answer: Not very

Then you can certainly make use of Chapter 5 Protect, which includes instructions for how to perform an Ethical Self-Assessment. You will also find detailed information about important issues such as informed consent, anonymisation and copyright.

Your answer: I have absolutely no idea how to protect the identity of respondents

Then you can certainly make use of the DMEG Chapter 5 Protect, which includes a detailed description of the GDPR and how to gain consent for data sharing.

Q7: Have you ever deposited your data in a data archive or repository?

Your answer: Yes

That's great to hear! Sharing data with others is beneficial for the whole community of researchers. As a data depositor, you certainly know how to archive data in the archive, but in case you would like to know more about data sharing and archiving, you will find more information in Chapter 6 Archive & Publish.

Your answer: No

It’s never too late to start! If you want to know how to store your data in a data archive, you will find all the necessary information in Chapter 6 Archive & Publish.

Q8: Have you ever encountered problems while looking for social scientific data for your secondary analyses?

No, I always find what I want very quickly
Yes, but at the end I usually always find what I need
Yes, I am usually lost

Your answer: No, I always find what I want very quickly

You have our respect! In Chapter 7 Discover, we not only provide tips and tricks for finding data but also explain how to assess the quality of data from repositories. Check it out!

Your answer: Yes, but at the end I usually always find what I need

Well, that's reality for many of us. Take a look at Chapter 7 Discover, where you will find useful tips and recommendations for faster and more effective data searching.

Your answer: Yes, I am usually lost

Sadly, your situation is far too common, but we are here to help! Take a look at Chapter 7 Discover, where you will find a detailed description of how to effectively look for scientific data in data repositories and other sources.

Data Management Expert Guide (DMEG)

The DMEG is designed by European experts to help social science researchers make their research data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR).

You will be guided by different European experts who are - on a daily basis - busy ensuring long-term access to valuable social science datasets, available for discovery and reuse at one of the CESSDA social science data archives.

You can download the full DMEG for your personal study offline (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3820473). PDFs for every single chapter are also available for being printed as handouts for training.

See also the pilot interactive game version of the guide!