This publication provides a comprehensive compendium of the current state of Germany's research infrastructure in the social, economic, and behavioural sciences. In addition, the book presents detailed discussions of the current needs of empirical researchers in these fields as well as of opportunities for future development. The importance of solid data for both public policy and the social and economic sciences is obvious. Today, empirical research is essential in finding solutions to many of the major challenges our society faces, such as environmental change, turbulent financial markets, and population growth. Based on 68 advisory reports by more than 100 internationally recognised authors from a wide range of fields, the book provides recommendations by the German Data Forum (RatSWD) on how to improve the research infrastructure so as to create conditions ideal for making Germany's social, economic, and behavioural sciences more innovative and internationally competitive.
This publication provides a comprehensive compendium of the current state of Germany's research infrastructure in the social, economic, and behavioural sciences. In addition, the book presents detailed discussions of the current needs of empirical researchers in these fields as well as of opportunities for future development.
The dynamic network of 31 research data centres (RDCs) accredited by the German Data Forum (Rat für Sozial- und Wirtschaftsdaten, RatSWD) provides science and research with comprehensive access to quality-assured and sensitive data. The annual number of processing requests and publications indicate that the data and services provided by RDCs are in high demand. They also underscore the importance of the research data centres for the social, behavioural and economic sciences. As shown in two new publications by the German Data Forum, the research data infrastructure is highly effective and can serve as a best practice model on a national and international level. The research data centres (RDCs) accredited by the German Data Forum (RatSWD) provide researchers from the empirical social, behavioural and economic sciences with comprehensive access to sensitive microdata. In doing so, RDCs satisfy the requirements of science and research as well as the requirements of data protection legislation. Moreover, RDCs provide their data users with a wide range of services, including professional support. This infrastructure serves as a best practice model not only for other disciplines on a national level, but also on an international level. The first RatSWD Output Paper of the 6th appointment period "The German Data Forum (RatSWD) and Research Data Infrastructure: Status Quo and Quality Management" demonstrates the capabilities and the broad scope of the services and data provided by the RDCs - as well as their extensive utilisation. It also reports in detail on the bottom-up governance and quality management of the research data infrastructure. The publication illustrates, for example, how accreditation standards and the continuous monitoring of the RDCs by the Standing Committee of the Research Data Infrastructure (FDI Committee) of the RatSWD contribute to the quality assurance of the infrastructure. The brochure is supplemented by a factsheet that gives a condensed overview of the dynamic network of RDCs and the data they offer.
This compendium is published in two volumes divided into three main parts. The first part presents the German Data Forum's recommendations on the further development of the research infrastructure for the social, economic, and behavioral sciences. One of the overarching goals of these recommendations – and of the German Data Forum itself – is to create optimal infrastructural conditions in Germany for innovative research both at universities and independent research institutes and within the system of official statistics and government research institutes. This requires that researchers in all these institutions be equipped with the capabilities and tools they need to create and access databases in Germany and abroad. A second and equally important goal is to create and cultivate a research environment that allows young scholars, official researchers, and official statisticians with innovative ideas to achieve their full potential. A vibrant, structurally sound, and highly productive research environment cannot be created using a top-down approach: the impetus must come from the research community itself. Scholars as well as official statisticians and researchers need formal procedures that promote competition and allow research entrepreneurship to flourish. The recommendations contained in Part I of this publication seek to facilitate these processes by communicating the needs of scientific researchers and statisticians to policy-makers and by promoting dialog among the various institutions involved. The second part of this publication, also contained in the first volume, provides "executive summaries" of all of the advisory reports, including detailed recommendations on how to meet current and future data needs. The summaries serve to provide the reader with a compact overview of current issues and needs in each research field. (DIPF/Orig.)
This compendium is published in two volumes divided into three main parts. The first part presents the German Data Forum's recommendations on the further development of the research infrastructure for the social, economic, and behavioral sciences. The second part of this publication, also contained in the first volume, provides "executive summaries" of all of the advisory reports, including detailed recommendations on how to meet current and future data needs. The summaries serve to provide the reader with a compact overview of current issues and needs in each research field. The third part is comprised of the 68 advisory reports commissioned by the German Data Forum and makes up by far the largest section of this final volume. The advisory reports cover a wide range of fields in the social, economic, and behavioral sciences: economics, sociology, psychology, educational science, political science, geoscience, and communications and media research. Some reports focus mainly on substantive issues, some on survey methodology and issues of data linkage, some on ethical and legal issues, and others on the assurance of quality standards. The third part begins with the assessment reports that address future demands likely to be placed on Germany's research infrastructure as well as the progress made since the first KVI report of 2001. One of the main topics dealt with here is the harmonization of European research infrastructures and possibilities for the permanent institutionalization of certain elements thereof. These are followed by reports on specific research fields, and on new data types and their potential applications in scientific research – for example, geodata, biodata, and transaction data. Many of these reports highlight recent advances in research methodology, such as the use of paradata ("data about data") and, for example, "qualitative methods" that can enrich quantitative data. Others are concerned with questions of data security and research ethics. Further reports deal with specific fields: migration and demography; vocational competencies, education, and research; labor markets and the economy; the state, the family, and health; political and cultural participation; and the role of the media. Since these have been identified as crucial research fields for research infrastructure, key aspects of each are discussed in several advisory reports. (DIPF/Orig.)
