Conferences

Social science has come to regard empirical comparisons across space and time as a matter of course. A host of methodological work is focused on evaluating the validity of such comparisons across data from different sources. In contrast, much less attention is being paid to the practical task of making existing data sets more comparable. Practical harmonisation work is already an issue for programmes such as ESS or ISSP, which design their surveys for comparability from the outset. But beyond that, vast amounts of data not collected with comparability in mind can be highly relevant for comparative research. When such data are manipulated to improve comparability, researchers often fall back on ad hoc considerations, using a diversity of tools selected mostly by random availability, and usually creating no or little documentation. Harmonisation work in itself is usually not regarded to be worth publishing. The result is a lack of supply of proper harmonisation work, and a lack of transparency in what is available.
The European data archives (as represented by CESSDA) have therefore designated one work package of a larger project to developing an open web platform for systematic ex post-harmonisation work. This platform shall offer researchers the tools to actually perform proper data harmonisation work online, and it shall at the same time support the publication of finalised harmonisation routines. The platform will be open to different types of contributors, individual and institutional, for inputting or editing harmonisation routines. Unrestricted and citable publication of a harmonisation routine is expected to form an incentive for contributors. Publication of the routines enhances the intellectual property rights of the originators in the same way that publication of research results earns credit to the authors. Further, it creates transparency on the actual coding of harmonised data and thus may also foster scientific discussion about particular routines and thus increase the quality of harmonisation work at large. The presentation will inform about how the platform intends to realise these goals.