Challenges in opening up qualitative research data

“Um, yeah [laughs]”Challenges in opening up qualitative research data

Paula Goodale ¦ Information School ¦ University of Sheffield@PaulaGoodale ¦ @LifeOfData

#iFutures 7/7/15

The Secret Life of a Weather Datum

www.lifeofdata.org.uk

Four contrasting, but inter-connected case studies

Data Production

Citizen Science Financial Markets

Climate Science

Thematic analysis

Policy issues

The journey of the weather

datumSocio-cultural

values

Open research data:Web site, online data archive

Image: Jonathan Gray [Flickr]

Data collection:“The best laid plans of mice and men…”

Data collection:“Nothing to see here…”

Data collection:Controlled access

Open research data: Which data? Which licence?

Anonymising participants:“Who’s that girl [boy]?”:

Redactions:Commercially sensitive information, controversial points of view,

humour, personal information about 3rd parties

Modifications:Personal & professional opinions. criticisms, humour,

3rd party anonymisation, clarifications…

“Umm, yeah [laughs]” (or, a transcript is a transcript, is not a transcript…)

Audio:All or nothing

No audio

Full audio

Clips

“Our technology, our machines, is part of our humanity. We created them to extend ourselves, and that is what is unique about human beings.” (Ray Kurzweil)

People and places:Individual permissions, public spaces

Lessons learned [1]: informed consentMake sure participants read and understand the small print!

I have read the small print

Lessons learned [2]: Put yourself in their shoes…No ‘one-size-fits-all’

Lessons learned [3]: CompromiseSome open data better than no open data?

Would I do it again?

$1 million question?