ISSDA
Irish Social Science Data Archive
You can download our ISSDA Services for Depositors & Researchers as a PDF file.
DEPOSIT DATA
WHY DEPOSIT?
Sharing your data via ISSDA ensures that your data will be professionally curated, will be easily accessible to users now and in the future, and will help to increase the impact and visibility of your own research.
Find out more about the importance of data sharing on UCD’s Research Data Management guide.
WHO CAN DEPOSIT?
We acquire data from academic, research bodies and public sector sources, supporting:
- Archival preservation
- Secondary use and analysis for research
- Teaching and learning use
- Replication and validation of research
We are happy to discuss any offers of data that come within the thematic scope of the ISSDA collections; broadly, these relate to Irish society and include the societal aspects of environmental and medical data.
Please see ISSDA Collection Development Policy for an outline for the scope of our collections and criteria for evaluating datasets.
HOW TO DEPOSIT
1. Preparing data for deposit
Anonymise/pseudonymise the data
If your data contains personal data under GDPR you must ensure that your data is anonymised or pseudonymised prior to deposit. Anonymisation/pseudonymisation is the responsibility of the Data Provider.
Definitions -
"Personal Data" as defined under Article 4(1) of GDPR “Any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (‘data subject’); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person”
"Anonymisation" of data as defined by the Data Protection Commission "means processing it with the aim of irreversibly preventing the identification of the individual to whom it relates. Data can be considered effectively and sufficiently anonymised if it does not relate to an identified or identifiable natural person or where it has been rendered anonymous in such a manner that the data subject is not or no longer identifiable."
‘Pseudonymisation’ under Article 4(5) of GDPR "means the processing of personal data in such a manner that the personal data can no longer be attributed to a specific data subject without the use of additional information, provided that such additional information is kept separately and is subject to technical and organisational measures to ensure that the personal data are not attributed to an identified or identifiable natural person".
Anonymous data is not considered personal data. Pseudonymised data, however, is considered personal data.
Guidance on anonymisation/pseudonymisation is available from the Data Protection Commission.
Further information and guidance on anonymisation is available from:
UCD’s Research Data Management guide
CESSDA DMEG chapter on anonymisation
Ensure your database is cleaned
A cleaned database is one that only has valid codes for each variable. This means that each code in the dataset must be described in the data dictionary or questionnaire. Note that there may be codes used in the dataset that are not mentioned on the questionnaire. There should be no numerical measures with out of range codes. Missing data codes must be explicitly stated. Data should also have been checked, as far as possible for internal consistency (for example a never-smoker should not have a cigarette consumption field completed).
Ideally the database should include long descriptive labels for each variable and labels for each discrete variable value. In SPSS these would be created using the VALUE LABLES and VARIABLE LABELS commands.
File Formats
Ideally the dataset format should be based on a commonly used package (e.g. SPSS, STATA, SAS). We also recommend depositing data in multiple formats, for example SPSS plus an open standard, therefore allowing the largest number of users to access the data. Note that ISDDA does not encourage submission of dataset in Excel files.
Please see the ISSDA_File_Format_Policyfor further information.
Documentation
Provide a data dictionary
The data dictionary is a central document that describes the different datasets being deposited, the sample size in each and the storage format. (e.g. SPSS, SAS, Excel). For each database the data dictionary will list each variable, usually in the order in which it appears in the dataset, giving the variable name, the variable label, and a copy of the exact wording used to elicit the information. This may be available from the questionnaire but should be repeated in the data dictionary. For derived variables (e.g. Body Mass Index, an SF-36 domain) the formula or algorithm used should be given or referenced.
For each variable the data dictionary should list the valid codes and their meaning. Missing value codes should be identified and the codes used for ‘irrelevant’ (e.g. date of marriage for someone who was never married). Often all ‘9’s are used for missing data and all ’8’s for irrelevant data. The cleaned database should only contain codes that are identified in the data dictionary. Note that special care should be taken if dates are included in the dataset, and the format should be described.
The data dictionary should also include a description of how the data were anonymised and list the variables (on the questionnaire) not included in the database, or variables which were altered to ensure anonymity (e.g. age groups instead of exact ages).
Include questionnaires
If PAPI (Paper and Pencil Interviews) has been used the questionnaire should be included. For CAPI (Computer Aided Personal Interviewing) and CATI (Computer Aided Telephone Interviewing) the question wording should be supplied with notes for branched questions (i.e. questions that depend on a positive answer to a previous question). For CASI (Computer Assisted Self Interviewing) systems such as Survey Monkey, a html file(s) displaying the questions should be provided.
Include any publications
Include any publications associated with the data study such as journal articles, project, summary or technical reports. These often contain important information such as research context and design, data collection methods and data preparation, plus summaries of findings based on the data.
Include blank consent form
Please include a blank copy of the consent form used with your study as part of the documenation. Blank consent form will be archived with the data but will not be made available to the End User unless they request to see it.
More information on data preparation steps is available from the UK Data Service.
2. When you are ready to deposit
Complete the ISSDA Depositor Form.
The information entered in the ISSDA Depositor Form is used to create the metadata on the data study webpage. Metadata is the information about the data study which ensures its findability, interoperability and reusability. Metadata is always publicly available even if access to the data is restricted. Metadata should not contain personal data apart from bibliographic information.
Complete and sign the ISSDA Deposit Licence
ISSDA supports Open Science by facilitating data re-use and provides options for depositors to make their data ‘As Open as Possible, as Closed as Necessary’.
ISSDA makes datasets available to third parties in accordance with the access category agreed with the depositor. If “Restricted Access” is applied, research files are made available to third parties subject to conditions. If “Open Access” is applied, the research files are made available to third parties without any restriction.
Please contact issda@ucd.ie to discuss the deposit licence agreement most suitable for your data -
Restricted Access
Restricted Access for Pseudonymised Personal Data - For datasets containing personal data within the meaning of the GDPR, with the exception of bibliographical data, the only access category permitted is Restricted Access. Metadata will always be made freely available. Restricted Access Datasets will only be made available directly to End Users, in consultation with ISSDA. End-users must be based in the EEA or adequacy decision countries to access data.
ISSDA Deposit Licence Agreement for Restricted Access - Pseudonymised Datasets.
Restricted Access for Non-Personal Data - For datasets which are fully anonymised or contain non-personal data and are not covered by GDPR. The data will only be made directly available to End Users, in consultation with ISSDA.
ISSDA Deposit Licence Agreement for Restricted Access - Non-Personal Datasets
Teaching Access - Select whether your data will be made available for teaching access. The files in the dataset will be made available to End Users by ISSDA for the purposes of teaching. The dataset may be used only for the purpose of teaching for the duration of a specific module/workshop. The dataset must be re-applied for each time the module/workshop is run.
Please contact us (issda@ucd.ie) if you have fully annoymised/non-personal data to discuss available options.
Open Access
The files in the dataset will be directly accessible to third parties. Third parties do not have to register with ISSDA. The Dataset will be placed in the public domain or made available under a Creative Commons licence. Open Access datasets must not contain personal data.
Please select the ISSDA Deposit Licence Agreement for Open Access Datasets_V1 to make your data Open Access
Transferring Data
Once your data is ready to deposit and you have completed the Depositor Form and relevant Deposit Licence. Transfer your data and associated documentation to ISSDA by the following methods -
- Encrypted files sent via email to issda@ucd.ie, with encryption password sent using a different medium
- By Institutional Google Drive
- Via secure electronic transmission
- Via HEAnet FileSender Guest Voucher (please contact ISSDA and we can arrange a Guest Voucher)
3. Data checking
Please contact us for more information.
4. Making data available
ISSDA website: www.ucd.ie/issda
Once the work has been completed on preparing the data and documentation, the ISSDA webpage for your data study is created using the information you supplied in the Depositor Form.
Metadata and documentation are always freely available
Open Access Datasets are made available without restrictions
Restricted Access Datasets must be requested through the ISSDA Data Request Process
Delivering data
In order to access restricted access data, researchers need to first submit an application form which can be accessed from the relevant data study page. This form collects information on all individuals who will have access to the dataset and a brief overview of how the data will be used. Users also agree to and sign an End User Licence.
Datasets are sent out via a secure online download service, called FileSender. The datasets are password protected and encrypted.
Where ISSDA receives requests for data outside the conditions of the ISSDA Deposit Agreement these requests are forwarded to the data provider.
Use of data
ISSDA deals with follow-up user enquiries but, on occasion, may need to contact the depositing organisation for assistance with an enquiry.
ISSDA can supply back to the depositing organisation statistical details of data use e.g. type of researcher, location of researcher and details of the research project for which the data is required.
MORE INFORMATION
If you have any queries please contact issda@ucd.ie
The Childhood Development Initiative (CDI) published a toolkit for sharing research data: McGrath, B. and Hanan, R., Sharing Social Research Data in Ireland: A Practical Toolkit (2016) Dublin: Childhood Development Initiative (CDI). Available from https://policycommons.net/artifacts/2078832/sharing-social-research-data-in-ireland-a-practical-toolkit/2834130/
Information on all aspects of Research Data Management are available from UCD’s Research Data Management guide: https://libguides.ucd.ie/data/ , including:
- Ethical issues
- Informed consent
- Anonymisation
- Access control
- Rights and licensing
- File management
- Version control
- File formats
- Documentation and metadata
- Funders’ requirements
