[DDI-users] REMINDER: ESRA 2015: Call for Papers for two sessions on metadata

[Wackerow, Joachim]

This call ends on January 15.

The two sessions are an excellent opportunity to present metadata-related approaches at a survey methodology conference.

Joachim Wackerow


--
GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences
Department: Monitoring Society and Social Change
Team: Social Science Metadata Standards
Visiting address: B2 1, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
Postal address: P.O. Box 122155, 68072 Mannheim, Germany
Phone: +49 (0)621 1246 262
Fax: +49 (0)621 1246 100
E-mail: joachim.wackerow at gesis.org<mailto:joachim.wackerow at gesis.org>
www.gesis.org<http://www.gesis.org/>

From: ddi-users-bounces at icpsr.umich.edu [mailto:ddi-users-bounces at icpsr.umich.edu] On Behalf Of Wackerow, Joachim
Sent: Montag, 8. Dezember 2014 14:53
To: Data Documentation Initiative Users Group (ddi-users at icpsr.umich.edu)
Subject: [DDI-users] ESRA 2015: Call for Papers for two sessions on metadata

[ Apologies for any cross posting ]

I would like to draw your attention to two sessions on metadata at ESRA 2015. The 6th Conference of the European Survey Research Association (ESRA) will take place 13th-17th July 2015 in Reykjavik, Iceland.
You will find the description of the two sessions on metadata below.

The closing date for submission of paper proposals is 15 January 2015.

Information on the conference and all sessions is available at:
http://www.europeansurveyresearch.org/conference
http://www.europeansurveyresearch.org/conf2015/sessions.php

Joachim Wackerow on behalf of the session organizers


1st Session:
Recent Developments in Survey Metadata Capture, Discovery and Harmonisation
Session organizers: Jack Kneeshaw (UK Data Archive, University of Essex), Jon Johnson (Centre for Longitudinal Studies, Institute of Education), Joachim Wackerow (GESIS - Leibniz Institut for the the Social Sciences)

There are increasing numbers of survey metadata search and browse tools available on the web. These tools - question banks, variable searches and the like - are in various states of maturity, adhere to a variety of standards (and none) and provide access to a range of survey metadata. Despite their differences, a key thread running through all of these tools is the need to capture metadata as early on in the survey life-cycle as possible. Not only does this aid survey data management during data collection, it is also crucial to the storage and retrieval of metadata required for accurate and efficient archiving; itself, a pre-requisite for successful resource discovery later on, especially where metadata items are re-used (for example, in continuing survey series or longitudinal studies).

Current versions of CAI software are, however, limited in their ability to provide this metadata, even as a by-product of their primary function of collecting data. This session will address the cultural, logistical and technical barriers to the contemporaneous capture of these metadata. It will also showcase emerging solutions to the problem, including developments in the extraction of survey metadata from CAI scripts to create XML files compliant with metadata standards such as the Data Documentation Initiative (DDI).

The adoption by fieldwork agencies of metadata standards such as DDI is also dependent upon a critical mass of existing survey metadata upon which to draw. This session will also address recent developments in the UK and elsewhere in Europe where the creation of historical survey metadata repositories could be used to inform the future collection of metadata not only for discovery purposes but also to flag harmonisations and equivalences across surveys/studies.


2nd Session:
Structured Metadata: Applications, Processes, Perspectives
Session organizers: Knut Wenzig (German Institute for Economic Research - DIW / German Socio-Economic Panel - SOEP), Daniel Bela (Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories - LIfBi / National Educational Panel Study - NEPS)

Various metadata systems for different sections of the data management lifecycle (e.g. questionnaire development, data preparation, documentation, data dissemination) are in use at institutions dealing with survey research. Resulting benefits are manifold: Data users can take advantage of metadata driven portals which make it easy to search for variables; instrument developers can quickly find questions used in other surveys.

Some of these metadata systems make use of evolving metadata standards (such as DDI or SDMX), some others are developed independently as custom-tailored solutions. Most of them have one idea in common: Structured metadata, stored in relational databases, make it possible to have one single source of information for data on data.

While metadata infrastructure in the first instance sets up the framework, processes have to be established to deploy these systems. As this fact seems to be underexposed in the academic discussion, this session aims to focus on systems which are already implemented and in productive use.

Papers presented in the session should focus on the features of metadata systems, e.g. on the re-use of information on objects, the capability to deal with multilingual content or to drive data preparation, and their practical implementation. We also want to promote transfer of knowledge about distinct (e.g. serial versus simultaneous) work-flows in using and implementing approaches of managing and making use of metadata.

Finally, this session gives the possibility to discuss the perspectives of different systems concerning deployment in other environments, interfaces to standards or lessons learned during software development.

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