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Issue 32 (1/2011)
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Front page
FSD Bulletin is the electronic newsletter of the Finnish Social Science Data Archive. The Bulletin provides information and news related to the data archive and social science research.
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In Brief
» Facilitating Access to Statistical Microdata Facilitating Access to Statistical MicrodataThe EU will finance a project titled Data Without Boundaries under the 7th Framework Programme for Research and Development. The DWB project aims to improve and enhance remote access to confidential data and increase cooperation between national statistical institutes (NSIs) and the CESSDA network. Main objectives include building a common central access and information point for statistical microdata, discussing the legal issues, implementing a common accreditation system, harmonising the use of metadata and doing research on anonymisation and output checking. The FSD will lead one of the work packages. The four-year project starts in mid-2011. Finnish roadmap for access to digital data used for researchTutkimuksen tietoainestot [Data for Research] project, set by the Ministry of Education and Culture, published its final report in February 2011. The aim of the project was to oversee the gathering of information regarding such data, form an idea of the situation in Finland, and plan a national roadmap for developing access to and preservation of data resources used for research. The final report includes concrete action proposals aiming to produce clear data policies supported by common e-services. The project, led by the CSD - IT Center for Science, had a cross-sector steering group aided by an expert group. Arja Kuula from the FSD participated in the expert group work. More information: Finnish government on access to public administration digital dataAccording to a press release of the Ministry of Transport and Communication, the (outgoing) Government in Finland decided in March 2011 that there should be access to digital data produced by public administration. The data from different public administration organisations should be openly accessible and reusable at low or no cost, and available with harmonious, clear and impartial access rules. Public administration organisations should ensure the maintenance and quality of the data through budgeting and results-based management, states the Government. National Digital Library in FinlandThe report of the first stage of the National Digital Library project has been published on the web site of the Ministry of Education and Culture (Publications of the Ministry of Education and Culture 2011:26). The report, titled "The National Digital Library - collaborating and interoperating", is available online both in Finnish and English. The report contains information of the background, objectives, interoperability, digital information resources, public interface, long-term preservation, co-operation and administration plans of the National Digital Library. Tuomas Alaterä from the FSD has been involved in the long-term preservation part of the project. More information: Literature review: What researchers wantSURFfoundation in the Netherlands has published a review of recent literature describing what researchers want with regard to data storage and access. Fifteen recent sources from different countries were studied, including one published by the FSD (Kuula & Borg, 2008). The study found that for researchers storage and preservation are two distinct issues. They wish for support in day-to-day storage but do not see the long-term preservation as their concern. They also wish to be in control of who has access to their data and under what conditions. More information:
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