for

Julie D. Shedd

Digital Initiatives Librarian, Mississippi State University

Data Management

Qualitative Researchers

Contents

  • What do we mean by "data"?
  • What do we mean by "data management"?
  • Why should I worry about it?
  • Data management tools:
  • Building a data management plan
  • Storing and organizing data
  • Documenting data
  • Collaborating and managing data collection projects
  • Long-term preservation of data
  • Who can help?

What do we mean

by "data"?

Image by Megan Bean - http://www.msstate.edu/state-spotlight/2015/10/jazzing-it/

Not just numbers!

  • Qualitative research results are not always easily transformed into quantifiable numerical or textual codes
     
  • Qualitative data can also include:
    • Photographs and other images
    • Video
    • Audio
    • Text (including field notes, transcripts, etc.)

What do we mean

by

"data management"?

Image by Megan Bean - http://www.msstate.edu/state-spotlight/2014/11/edible-type-contest/

Data management is...

  • Collecting
  • Organizing
  • Storing
  • Sharing
  • Archiving

data created during research.

Why should I

worry about it?

Image by Megan Bean - http://www.msstate.edu/state-spotlight/2015/12/high-fashion-cotton/

Because...

  • It helps ensure that your research is reliable and can be reproduced
     
  • It helps the people who fund your research (taxpayers) gain access to it
     
  • Funding agencies increasingly requiring data management plans as part of grant applications
    • NEH
      • DMP required for Digital Humanities grants; other types may require data sharing/management information
    • US Department of Education
      • Some grants require data sharing plans
    • Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
      • All applications require data management plan
    • And more

Data Management Tools: 

Image by Nic Dampier - https://www.msstate.edu/state-spotlight/2012/07/carrie-mcmillen-works-lesson-plan/

Building a

Data Management Plan

We can help!

DMPTool

Data Management Tools: 

Image by Megan Bean - http://www.msstate.edu/state-spotlight/2005/01/entomology-museum/

Storing & Organizing Data

What about paper?!

Smartbooks and smartpens

  • Moleskine's Livescribe, Adobe, and Evernote notebooks

Transforms handwritten documents into digital files!

Syncs with Adobe Creative Cloud - draw, take a picture, and edit it later!

Write your notes, place the special stickers, and take a picture - note syncs to Evernote!

Portable document scanners

Comprehensive research software

https://www.optimalworkshop.com/reframer

  • Take notes during interviews
  • Hashtag them as you go
  • Discover themes
  • Collaborate with your research team
  • This is a beta product - use with caution

Speech recognition, transcription, and indexing

Dragon

  • Automatic transcription; voice-controlled editing; can learn contact names; read back transcriptions; and many more features

Oral History Metadata Synchronizer

  • Encodes transcripts; connects transcripts to corresponding moments in interview

Computer hardware

  • Must be backed up regularly and kept safe
     
  • Depending on your work, you may need especially rugged pieces
     
  • Physical access = data access
     
  • Need help finding a suitable item? We can advise!

"I'm sorry, but we had to blow up your laptop."

http://www.lilyasussman.com/2009/11/30/im-sorry-but-we-blew-up-your-laptop-welcome-to-israel/

Personal web hosting

  • Can pay monthly, yearly or for years in advance
  • Generally fairly inexpensive
  • Will also need some sort of file transfer program
  • ~$6 per month
  • Several free domain names
  • One-Click Installs of many popular programs
  • Painless customer support
  • Targeted toward educators and researchers
  • Easy auto-installation of over 100 apps
  • URLs branded with your institution's name
  • Up to 100gb storage, up to $100/year

Cloud computing & storage

  • Documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and more
  • 15gb free (spread throughout Google services); upgradable to 30tb
  • Store, sync, and share files; easily remove them from stolen or lost devices
  • Upgrade to Pro for 1TB storage
  • Upgrade to Dropbox Business for unlimited storage and ability to set user permissions
  • Unlimited Everything plan allows you to upload unlimited images, videos, audio, documents, and other files 

Cloud computing & storage

  • Store and create notes, images, etc.
  • Share notebooks with fellow researchers and team members
  • Store files, create to-do lists, clip web articles (or read them without distractions)
  • Upgrade to Pro to save emails, lock mobile devices, and easily work offline
  • Upgrade to Premium to scan business cards, turn notes into presentations, and annotate PDFs

Bibliographic Managers

  • Store bibliographies; easily grab content and references from the web; easily organize collection
  • Automatic full-text indexing of your collection
  • Keep material private
  • Create research groups to work on a project together
  • Store and organize collections of files and web content
  • Linked to some databases for one-click import of references and files
  • Create private groups to share materials
  • Read and annotate PDFs

Data Management Tools: 

Image by Megan Bean - http://www.msstate.edu/state-spotlight/2015/11/international-education-week/

Documenting Data

Data documentation

  • Helps you remember where you left off
     
  • Helps other researchers understand your data and how to use it
     
  • Provides important archival and indexing information

Two important components:

Metadata

ReadMe Files

Metadata

or, data about data

  • Tells others (and reminds you!) what your research is about, when/where it was done, who contributed, etc. (descriptive metadata)
     
  • Also provides information about the data's container - file type, file size, cameras or other tools used to create it, etc. (structural metadata)
     
  • Helps researchers find your work
     
  • Can provide directions for future research

Metadata Tools

  • Searches PDF documents and calculates word frequency
  • Use to identify common terms and themes in your research
  • Cleans, transforms, and extends data
  • Great for correcting spelling errors and otherwise standardizing metadata

Controlled vocabularies

  • Your discipline or subject area may have a set thesaurus (or thesauri) they (or their librarians) prefer for describing research or data

For more help with metadata:

ReadMe files

A plain-text (.txt) file containing:

  • A short description of the data it includes for each filename
    • Can also describe the data's relationship to tables, figures, or sections in an accompanying publication
  • Definitions of any column headings or row labels; data codes; and measurement units
  • Any data processing steps that may affect interpretation of results (especially if not described in the publication)
  • A description of any associated datasets stored elsewhere
  • Contact information for the principal investigator

ReadMe files

If text formatting is vital to understanding your data,

you can use a .pdf instead!

For more help with ReadMe files:
 

Data Management Tools: 

Image by Megan Bean - http://www.msstate.edu/state-spotlight/2015/02/landscape-architecture-studio-autocad-collaboration/

Collaborating & Managing Data Collection Projects

Most cloud storage tools also support collaboration...

And so do bibliographic managers...

Project Management Tools

Project Management Tools

More options...

MSU Dropbox Service

https://dropbox.msstate.edu

  • Transfer files too large for email
  • Great for bulk transfers
  • Save and share your data, privately or publicly
  • Private space limited to 1gb; public space unlimited

Mendeley Data (in beta!)

https://data.mendeley.com/

  • Store data and share it privately
  • Get DOIs for each version of your data
  • Beta version - For testing purposes only!

Data Management Tools: 

Image by Megan Bean - http://www.msstate.edu/state-spotlight/2015/09/exploring-past/

Long-term Preservation of Data

Physical copies

  • You can commit to keeping data on external hard drives, jump drives, network drives, etc....
  • May be safer to scrub all identifying data, store in digital repository, and destroy physical media
  • For paper records, invest in a fire safe (or share space in your department's secure storage)
  • Consider submitting them to University Archives

MSU Institutional Repository

  • Upload final version of your data and resulting open access articles or other publications
     
  • We will store your data for as long as your grant requires
     
  • Free to you - free to the public

Coming soon!

Subject-based or organizational repositories

  • Your grant may require or suggest upload to a specific repository

Who can help?

Image by Taylor Howell - http://www.msstate.edu/state-spotlight/2014/07/library-statue/

Data Management Services Committee

Members:

Kirsten Andrews, committee chair, Assistant Professor / Electronic Resources Librarian

Stephen Cunetto, Library Administrative Council representative, Administrator of Systems

Melody Dale, Assistant Professor / Serials Cataloger

Clay Hill, Web Sites Manager

Paul Huddleston, Network and Systems Manager

Sheeji Kathuria, Assistant Professor / Social Sciences Librarian

Randall McMillen, Coordinator of the Digital Preservation and Access Unit

Amanda Clay Powers, Associate Professor / Coordinator of Research Services / Social Media Research Librarian

Ryan Semmes, Associate Professor / Coordinator of the Congressional and Political Research Center

Julie Shedd, Digital Initiatives Librarian

Li Zhang, Associate Professor / Science & Engineering Librarian

Services:

Data management consultations and workshops; information about funders' requirements; DMPTool

Thank you!

Mississippi State University formally reiterates and reaffirms its commitment to the principles of equal opportunity, affirmative action and diversity. Discrimination based upon race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or veteran's status is a violation of federal and state law and MSU policy and will not be tolerated. Discrimination based upon sexual orientation or group affiliation is a violation of MSU policy and will not be tolerated. This nondiscrimination policy applies to all programs administered by the University. However, this policy should not be construed to infringe upon the free exchange of ideas essential to the academic environment.

Data Management for Qualitative Researchers

By Julie Shedd

Data Management for Qualitative Researchers

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