GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006 Data curation standards and the messy world of social science occupational information resources Paper presented to the 2nd International Digital Curation Conference, 21-22 nd November 2006, Glasgow. Paul Lambert, Larry Tan, Ken Turner, & Vernon Gayle University of Stirling Richard Sinnott University of Glasgow Ken Prandy Cardiff University
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Data curation standards and the messy world of social science occupational information resources
Data curation standards and the messy world of social science occupational information resources. Paper presented to the 2nd International Digital Curation Conference, 21-22 nd November 2006, Glasgow. GEODE – www.geode.stir.ac.uk. Grid Enabled Occupational Data Environment - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
Data curation standards and the messy world of social science occupational
information resources
Paper presented to the 2nd International Digital Curation Conference, 21-22nd November 2006, Glasgow.
Paul Lambert, Larry Tan, Ken Turner, & Vernon Gayle University of Stirling
Richard Sinnott University of GlasgowKen Prandy Cardiff University
GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
GEODE – www.geode.stir.ac.uk
Grid Enabled Occupational Data Environment
Operate as a ‘portal’ • User friendly access to occupational data• High volume use
Support a community of occupational data providers• Depository of occupational information resources• Limited volume use
Experiment with / promote ‘e-Social Science’
GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
(Part 1) Occupational analyses in the social sciences
(Quotes as reproduced in Coxon and Jones 1978; Crompton 1998)
“A man’s work is as good a clue as any to the course of his life and to his social being and identity” (Hughes, 1958)
“The backbone of the class structure, and indeed of the entire reward system of modern Western society, is the occupational order” (Parkin, 1972)
“Nothing stamps a man as much as his occupation. Daily work determines the mode of life.. It constrains our ideas, feelings and tastes” (Goblot, 1961)
GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
Why is occupational research ‘messy’?
Two stage process:
1. Collect & preserve ‘source occupational data’ 2. Summary / translation of source data
This model is a ‘scientific’ approach• Published documentation (at both stages)• Replicable• Validation exercises
But social researchers have been not been good at using it…• (Bechhofer 1969; Marsh 1986; Rose and Pevalin 2003)
GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
{Stage 1 - Collecting Occupational Data – Examples}
{Stage 1 - Collecting occupational data – summary}
All methods lead eventually to coding to an occupational index scheme:
– Occupational Unit Groups– Standardised Industrial Classifications– Standardised employment status classifications
Occupational index schemes are the point of departure for GEODE
GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
Stage 2: Summary / translation of source occ. data
a) Published ‘occupational information resources’ used to link source data, via an index scheme, with substantively meaningful measures
• Social class schemes• Stratification scales• Gender segregation statistics• Labour process statistics
b) Coding by fiat – (Allocation by ‘expert’ social scientist)
• Lack of documentation / replicability / consistency• Unscientific…
GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
What’s the problem?
But…• Low uptake of existing occupational information resources• Strict security constraints on users’ micro-social survey data• Problems in the formatting / distribution of occupational information
resources (Part 2)
External user (micro-social data)
Occ information (index file) (aggregate)
User’s output(micro-social data)
id oug sex . oug CS-M CS-F EGP id oug CS1 110 1 . 110 60 58 I 1 110 60 .2 320 1 . 320 69 71 II 2 320 69 .3 320 2 . 874 39 51 VIIa 3 320 71 .4 874 1 . 4 874 39 .5 874 2 . 5 874 51 .
GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
Handling Occupational Information
• Messy because: – Large volume of occupational information resources– Limited coordination between resources– Inconsistencies in access and exploitation processes
Occupational information resources are used to interpret occupational records
GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
Some illustrative occupational information resources
Index units # distinct files (average size kb)
Updates?
CAMSIS, www.camsis.stir.ac.uk
Local OUG*(e.s.)
200 (100) y
CAMSIS value labelswww.camsis.stir.ac.uk
Local OUG 50 (50) n
ISEI tools, home.fsw.vu.nl/~ganzeboom
Int. OUG 20 (50) y
E-Sec matrices www.iser.essex.ac.uk/esec
Int. OUG*(e.s.)
20 (200) n
Hakim gender seg codes (Hakim 1998)
Local OUG 2 (paper) n
GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
Occupational information resources
Large volumes of occupational information resources• Coverage across countries and time periods• Different research fields / topics• Dynamic: updates to occupational information resources
• Internet based distributions lead to duplication and expansion, e.g. ISEI - ISCO translation files at:
• Focus for application of occupational data• Individual level measures• Household / career contexts
GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
Returning to the occupational research model
Two stage process:
1. Collection & preservation of ‘source occupational data’
2. Summary / translation of source data via occupational information resources
Critically, stage (2) places responsibility for reviewing occupational information resources with the social scientist
The volume of variants / inconsistencies isn’t huge, but is enough to impede easy application
GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
(Part 2) Curating Occupational Data
• GEODE – Grid Enabled Occupational Data Environment
• Core provision: support the management of and access to occupational information resources
‘Occupational information depository’ Easy access to occupational data (portal for
occupational data)
GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
Metadata - Occupational information depository
How to facilitate searching, registering, accessing index service?
Establish a ‘GEODE-M’ meta-data subset (.xml)• Founded on Michigan Data
Documentation Initiative
• Semantic curation of occupational information
<docDscr>Release date
<stdyDscr>Country Time periodAuthor
<fileDscr>Format
<otherMat>Missing data Data extensions
<dataDscr> <varGrp><var>
<concept> to differentiate index and output variable groups<stdCatgry> to reference variable defintions
GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
Benefits of DDI-XML curation
XML suits: • OGSA-DAI
• (data access & integration, www.ogsadai.org.uk)• Supports data indexing / preservation / management• Supports secure data matching programme
• Could facilitate analytical queries • ‘Gridsphere’ search programmes
• Data curation standards– DDI widely deployed in social science resources– XML accessibility / transferability– Repeatability of tags very helpful
– E.g. data files; index measures; contexts; authors
GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
Implementing ‘GEODE-M’ metadata
• Critical entries: • Context of data [country, time period]• Index scheme • <StdCatgry> : GEODE database of known index scheme• Source uri for resource
2 stage curation process (…?)1) Web-proforma for supply of occupational data
• Author; context, index units• Gridsphere ‘portlet’
2) Manual updating of xml resource by depositor / GEODE members
10 [all]; all GB; 1990-2000 GB; 1950-2000 10 [all]; 1985-2000
GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
Management of GEODE-M curation
Metadata considerations• ‘GEODE-M’ as {flexible} recommended components of DDI • GEODE-M templates
• webpages at GEODE• Other facilities?
Data considerations:• Stored at GEODE v’s Linkage to external data• Proprietary software (plain text / SPSS / STATA)
At present: • Stage 1 – automated curation (allows external linkage, any file
format)• Stage 2 – extended manual curation (requires GEODE server copy of
data, translation to plain text rectangular format• Premised upon small commitment from depositors & GEODE
GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
GEODE – user uptake
• High potential demand • Numerous queries on occupational data management• Numerous researchers wishing to distribute occupational data
• Prototype GEODE services not yet user-friendly
Carrots– High demands for easier access and review
Sticks– Poor standards of many previous research which neglects
good review of occupational information Hurdles
– Change research cultures in social science disciplines(?)
GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
Conclusions
• Occupational data curation and the Grid• Grid facilitates management / access via xml formats (OGSA-DAI) • Current models require moderate specialist input (manual curation)• Grid offers new level of service not previously available
• Occupational data as case study for focused DDI xml curation • Complex but finite range of occupational information resources• High user demand
• Uptake will require combination of motivation, and instigation
GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
App 1: e-Social Science
‘The Grid’ and ‘e-Science’: 1. Online Coordination of electronic resources and collaborations
(Distributed computing) Large scale Collaborative Heterogeneous
2. Standard protocols / information management systems
UK eSocial Science:
1) Investment in assessing / implementing technology 2) Computationally demanding data analysis 3) Qualitative and quantitative data collection technologies4) **Data sharing, processing and access**
GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
App 2: GEODE architecture
GEODE - Glasgow DCC, Nov 2006
App3: {Collecting occupational data}
a) Follow a recommended process: ONS good practice• www.statistics.gov.uk/methods_quality/ns_sec/questions.asp • Industry description / occupation description / size of
organisation / employment status / supervisory status• Occupation descriptions -> standardised numeric index • Text coding tools, e.g.CASCOT -