The CESSDA ERIC Expert Seminar 2017

10.10.2017

New types of data are not only a challenge for researchers but also for data archives. Members of CESSDA ERIC discussed this and more in Bergen, Norway.

The CESSDA Expert Seminar took place in Bergen in mid-September. The Norwegian center for research Data (NSD) hosted the seminar about current challenges for data archives, namely new types of data and the new EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

What are new types of data?

In this context, new types of data are data that have thus far not been archived at social science repositories. These include:

  • big data
  • social media data
  • biometric data
  • linked data

In many cases, the expertise to file, save and curate new types of data has yet to be built. For many of these new types, different metadata are needed, to ensure correct documentation and a structured archiving process has to be established to save these big amounts of data. Due to the European collaboration in CESSDA ERIC, archives of member states can benefit from each other’s knowledge. The legal foundations for new types of data also need to be kept in mind.

The new Data Protection Regulation

As of May 2018, the new European Union GDPR will come into effect. The protection of individual’s privacy will become a greater priority and data protection officials will be even more important. At AUSSDA, every employee receives basic training in data protection and it is also taken into account during the development of documents and processes.

If you have questions concerning the safe deposit of your data or privacy issues like informed consent, don’t hesitate to contact us!

(photo: Veronika Heider)