Doing research better: The role of meta‐data
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Transcript of Doing research better: The role of meta‐data
Doing research betterThe role of meta‐data
David LeonProfessor of Epidemiology
Sharing Data imperative
• Consensus among Research Funders (MRC, WellcomeTrust, ESRC, NIH etc. etc.) that studies they fund should make their data accessible to wider scientific community
• This does NOT mean data is “dumped” onto the web and made freely accessible without restriction
• Emphasis on establishing principle, mechanisms and transparent procedures
• Underpinned by belief that replication, pooling and “new ideas for old data” advance scientific knowledge
Perceived and real costs of data sharing(the researchers perspective)
• Intellectual property• Motivation of researchers (why bother if other researchers feed off my life’s work)
• Huge time commitment to educate 3rd party users and tell them about what data there is, what’s its strengths and weaknesses are etc.
• My team’s time taken up providing datasets and servicing endless requests and queries
LSHTM initiative onresearch data (2009‐10)
David Leon (Chair)Taane Clark, Paul Fine, Judy Green
(Faculty representatives ) Carolyn Lloyd (Librarian)Victoria Cranna (Archivist)Sheena Wakefield (NST)
http://intra.lshtm.ac.uk/infoman/research/
Useful external linkshttps://intra.lshtm.ac.uk/infoman/research/research_resources.html
Key recommendations• Develop portal/gateway for discovery of key data assets;• Develop web‐based resources for researchers; • Develop policies/guidance on : – obtaining appropriately wide consent to permit data sharing, – maintenance of confidentiality and minimising risk of disclosure of identities, – establishment of data access processes and model data sharing agreements, – inclusion of adequate budget lines on new grant applications (reflected in pFACT), – best practice and minimal standards for data documentation; • Review institutional incentives for developing meta‐data; • Review career pathways for information specialists;• Introduce staff, taught course and doctoral training on
documentation and meta‐data – principles and practice;• Encourage flag ship data sets/resources to develop high
standard meta‐data and access procedures
Recommendations fully accepted by SMT in summer 2011
Improving how we document data:
Raising standards and lowering barriers
Trolley bus syndrome
The codebook is here…. somewhere
We can do better ….
What is meta‐data ?
• It’s data about data• Two levels :
– Study‐level description • Setting, numbers of subjects, endpoints, exposure variables, biological samples collected
• Who to contact to find out more etc.– Variable level description
• Instrument/questionnaire used• Frequencies/means/missing values• Comments on validity/utility
Web‐based applications provide high level of functionality
• Enables discovery of data• Easy to navigate (hyperlinks are great strength)
• Can combine access to meta‐data with documentation of instruments including protocols, questionnaires etc.
• As appropriate allows “drill‐down” from study level to variable‐level
Up‐sides of good (web‐based) variable‐level meta‐data
• Facilitate analysis by existing researchers• Reduce induction of new researchers in own group or visitors
• Reduce costs of providing data to bona fide 3rdparty researchers
• Easy to edit, add to and update• Can have “shopping‐basket” facility
Down‐sides of web‐based variable‐level meta‐data
• Requires investment – Funders claim they will pay
• Not appropriate for all studies (scale, duration of future use)
• Lack of clarity about best platform – DDI3 – open source looks very promising
• Limited experience at LSHTM
Some examples …
URLs
• Aberdeen Children of the 1950s cohort studyhttp://www.abdn.ac.uk/aconf/
• Izhevsk Family Study (registration required)http://www.ifsmetadata.info/
But … no one size fits all !
Next steps at LSHTM
Research Data Management Steering Group
• Established January 2012 by the Senior Leadership Team
• Chaired by Professor Anne Mills (Deputy Director Research)
• Time limited• Links to other initiatives (eg LSHTM Research Online)
• Resources obtained from WT (> Gareth Knight)