5 research outputs found
Making the case for data archiving: The changing “value proposition” of social science data archives
preprint of paper for the 2018 Annual Conference for the Association for Information Science & Technology conferenceIn this paper, we analyse how three social science data archives (SSDA) have adapted to provide value to different
stakeholders over time. Drawing on historical administrative documents and interviews with current and
former staff at three long standing SSDA, we examine how these archives have provided value, to whom, and
how they have situated themselves vis-Ă -vis alternative archives over 20-40 year time spans. Although data
archives have been in operation for decades, how they have sustained themselves over time by continuing to
provide value to stakeholders in changing conditions is less well understood. Studies of value have tended to
focus on a snapshot in time rather than providing a view that emphasizes change over time. We conclude with
a comparative analysis of changes in value across archives and suggestions for future workAlfred P. Sloan Foundatio