News

DDI Community Newsletter, Summer 2024

The latest edition of the DDI community newsletter is now available:

https://mailchi.mp/umich/ddi-community-newsletter-summer-2024

Join Us for the DDI Marketing Group - Statistical Agencies Campaign (23 July)

Dear DDI community:

 

At the June DDI Annual Meeting of Members, the Executive Board proposed a series of marketing campaigns aimed at specific user audiences, starting with Statistical Agencies.  We are now ready to take this forward and invite everyone from the DDI community to participate -- especially those from Statistical Agencies.

We are convening an initial meeting to develop ideas that will engage the wider statistical community, aiming to increase awareness, adoption, and membership.

Meeting Details:

Date: July 23, 2024

Time: 9am EDT

Registration: Click here to register (you will receive the Zoom link after registration)

This initiative aligns with several key objectives outlined in our new Strategic Plan:

  1. Understand DDI users
  2. Build community through products and events
  3. Renew active and engaged membership at the institutional level
  4. Develop audience-specific training materials
  5. Build partnerships with other standards
  6. Generate valuable insights for our product groups

 

We look forward to your participation and valuable contributions.  For more information or any questions, please email: secretariat@ddialliance.org.

Sincerely,

Jon Johnson 

DDI Executive Board Chair

The Cross-Domain Interoperability Framework (CDIF): Practical Guidelines for FAIR Interoperability, Webinar, 25 July, 2024

Several organizers of and participants in the below CDIF project are active in the DDI community.  They think the CDIF is very relevant for any data repository or service wanting to present cross-domain data products to its users.  They are very keen to discuss this with the DDI membership and to get feedback....
 

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The Cross-Domain Interoperability Framework (CDIF) is a major output from the WorldFAIR project, and has been published as an initial draft with the completion of project deliverables. CDIF is a set of implementation recommendations, based on profiles of common, domain-neutral metadata standards which are aligned to work together to support core functions required by FAIR. CDIF will continue to be developed and maintained, based on feedback from implementers and the broader FAIR community.

This webinar will: 

  1. present the core CDIF profiles and discuss future directions;
  2. invite feedback and provide details on how this can be done;
  3. discuss plans to expand the CDIF initiative and broaden the participating community. 

The webinar will take place on Thu 25 July at 15:00-16:30 CEST / 13:00-14:30 UTC

Register at: https://bit.ly/RegistrationCDIFwebinar240725 

This webinar is intended to introduce the current recommendations, and describe future directions. The initial CDIF draft covers the following core set of functions necessary to support FAIR exchanges across domain and infrastructure boundaries:

  • Discovery (search, cataloguing, etc.)
  • Access (programmatic location of access conditions and terms of use) 
  • Publication of controlled vocabularies (codelists, classifications, and concepts used in data definition)
  • Integration-ready description of data (granular, variable-level metadata)

Additionally, guidance is provided on some ‘universal’ areas which are critical to data integration: time, geography, and units of measure.

Much work remains to be done, and some discussion is provided in the draft of other topics which will serve as the focus of future work: mappings between data sets, provenance and data contextualization, expanded description of data sets and the integration process, and AI readiness. Other relevant topics may emerge.

CDIF is intended to be maintained as the needs of the community develop, and as the technology and standards picture changes. In order to sustain the development of the recommendations, it is important to have an active dialogue with implementers and the FAIR community broadly. To this end, we will introduce channels for providing reactions and feedback, for both implementers and business-level users to help drive the future directions of the CDIF development. Opportunities for active engagement with the CDIF development community will also be described. 

  1. Announce release of the draft and indication of future directions
  2. Collecting feedback and reviews (GitHub, website)
  3. Expansion of the CDIF initiative and broadening the community in future

16th Annual European DDI User Conference (EDDI 2024) - Call for Proposals

EDDI 2024 is organised jointly by the Swiss Institute for Information Science (SII), at the University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons, GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences and IDSC of IZA - International Data Service Center of the Institute for the Study of Labor.

It will be hosted by the Swiss Institute for Information Science in Chur, Switzerland from Monday 2 to Friday 6 December 2024 as an in-person event:

Tutorials and Workshops: Monday 2 December 2024

Conference: Tuesday 3 December - Wednesday 4 December 2024

Side Meetings: Thursday 5 December - Friday 6 December 2024

 

How to submit

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If you are interested in submitting a proposal, please visit the EDDI 2024 Conference Website. [https://bit.ly/eddi-2024] The deadline for submissions is 2 September 2024, 23:59 CEST.

 

The 16th European DDI Users Conference

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The Data Documentation Initiative (DDI) is an international standard for describing the data produced by surveys and other observational methods in the social, behavioral, economic, and health sciences. The meeting will bring together DDI users and professionals from all over Europe and the world. Anyone interested in developing, applying, or using DDI is invited to attend and present.

We are seeking proposals on all things DDI:

Case Studies

Mature implementations

Early Implementations

Interplay of DDI with other standards or technologies

Projects in early phases in which DDI is under consideration

Critiques of DDI

Community building activities

Proposed topics of the conference

 

We expect that many presentations will cross over between topic areas but that should not discourage proposals. Please also note that the possible topics are not exclusive to those listed:

 

User Needs, Efficient Infrastructures and Improved Quality

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Rich, standard-based metadata can a) improve the fulfilment of the need for better documentation for researchers and other users; b) improve efficiency by providing infrastructures that drive data collection, data processing and dissemination (e.g. metadata-portals); c) improve quality of our products and processes. The growth of European Research Infrastructure Consortiums (ERICs) and the development of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) has raised the importance for metadata as underlying technology for the functioning of European Research. Proposals describing innovative solutions covering the parts of or the whole life-cycle from collection to dissemination based on metadata are encouraged. Proposals focusing on metadata driven production are welcomed as well.

 

Official Statistics

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National and international statistical organizations share a need for inter-related standards like the Generic Statistical Business Process Model (GSBPM), the Generic Activity Model for Statistical Organizations (GAMSO), the Generic Statistical Information Model (GSIM), the Common Statistical Production Architecture (CSPA), DDI, and SDMX. We welcome proposals with a focus on the use and development of standards in official statistics.

 

Interoperability, Reusing and Sharing Metadata

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DDI is strongly focused on the principles of metadata re-use and interoperability. “Enter once and use many times” is a powerful paradigm that can lead to improved fulfilment of user needs, improved quality and improved efficiency. The FAIR principles emphasise the use of formal, accessible, shared and broadly applicable language for knowledge representation and use of vocabularies and references. Proposals that demonstrate achieving interoperability using DDI, interaction with other metadata standards, or innovative ways to reuse, share and harmonize metadata are welcomed.

 

(Meta)Data Harmonization

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(Meta)data harmonization can maximize the value of large-scale population research in health and social sciences for both documentation and processing purposes. DDI has rich metadata constructs such as Concept, Comparison, Group, ConceptualVariable and RepresentedVariable in DDI 3.x. We encourage proposals which describe projects utilizing DDI or exploring DDI as a basis for harmonizing (meta)data.

 

Incentives to Document Data

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The advantage of having good documentation on data is rarely challenged, but it is often left as the last thing (or maybe not even that) to do on a research project. This is because the benefits for researchers come largely from publication and not from the data itself. In this context, changing both the culture and the rewards for documentation and sharing of data might be seen as key motivators. We encourage proposals exploring this topic with the focus on DDI and metadata.

 

Open Data, Metadata and Linked Open Data

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As the “Open Data” movement – which aims to make data more freely available – gains more and more attention in science and humanities, especially in the area of government data, the value of data that are easy to access and not limited by restrictive licenses is acknowledged. By using “Linked Open Data” or “Knowledge Graphs” technologies the ability to create reproducible and transparent research is enabled. For both, high quality metadata that is standardized and machine-actionable, like DDI metadata, is crucial. We encourage proposals in the area of Open Data and Linked Open Data with a focus on DDI.

The sharing of data or metadata is sometimes restricted due to privacy issues or property rights. Especially, but not exclusively, in health research there is the need to protect the privacy of persons to whom the data refer. In social sciences and humanities, data can contain copyrighted material like texts and photos. Access rights can be determined by well standardized metadata. Thus good metadata management enables the protection of research participants’ and researchers’ rights and ensures an organisation’s investment in data and metadata. We encourage proposals in the area of concepts or implementations of privacy and access control issues with a focus on DDI.

 

Metadata versus Data and Related Ethics

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In the case of surveys, there is usually a clear distinction between data and metadata. However, for example, in the context of qualitative research the boundary between data and metadata is less clear-cut. This issue also arises with big data sources like Facebook and other social media. Ultimately what is perceived to be data and what is perceived to be metadata is defined by research questions. This poses some difficult questions for research ethics when release, use and access to data usually have governance, yet metadata conceivably does not. We encourage proposals focusing on this area of tension with the background of DDI.

 

Machine Learning, AI and Automation

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Machine learning and AI technologies offer the potential to create, evaluate and enhance metadata reducing the manual labor often associated with metadata production. We encourage proposals which address the use and limitations of these technologies with a focus on DDI and related metadata such as ontologies, thesauri, controlled vocabularies and classifications.

 

Software / Tools

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The acceptance and adoption of a “standard” depends on the availability of re-usable tools and software to utilize it. Many new tools that leverage DDI are emerging, and they target different parts of the data life cycle. We encourage proposals showcasing tools and software which make use of DDI or parts of it.

 

Submissions and Presentation forms

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Proposals are welcome for the following presentation forms. All forms require in-person attendance.

 

Complete Session: Proposals for complete sessions should list the organizer or moderator and possible participants. The session organizer will be responsible for securing both session participants and a chair.

This is designed for sessions which could be described as:

Discussion: a session where a specific topic is discussed, normally with a panel, discussants and a chair

Plenary: a session to be attended by all participants

Birds of a Feather: informal gatherings of like-minded individuals who wish to discuss a certain topic without a pre-planned agenda

Lightning Talks: a storytelling format in which a presenter shows 20 slides for 20 seconds of commentary each.

The submission should provide titles, author names, and a brief description for each of the individual presentations. Submission: abstract (500 words maximum).

 

Regular Presentation: The presentation will be approx. 20 minutes long, plus 10 minutes for questions at the end. Submission: abstract (200 words maximum).

 

Short Presentation: The presentations will be approx. 10 minutes long, plus 5 minutes for questions at the end. Submission: abstract (200 words maximum)

 

Poster: An A1 poster

Posters are to be presented in-person. Submission: abstract (200 words maximum).

 

Tutorial or Workshop: Half-day or full-day tutorials (introductions) or workshops (more advanced special topics) with respectively 2 and 4 blocks each lasting 90 minutes in length.

These are scheduled to take place on Monday, December 2, 2024.

 

The abstract should describe the topic, the perspective (business or technical), the intended audience and possible prerequisites.

Hands-on exercises could rely on the participants using laptop computers. Submission: abstract (300 words maximum).

 

Side Meetings: Half-day or full day meetings for established DDI related projects or DDI Alliance working groups etc. These are scheduled to take place on Thursday, December 5 and/or Friday, December 6, 2024. Proposals should be aware that space is limited, so the number of participants should not exceed 10 people. Meeting space is being provided by SII. It will not be possible to provide catering for the side meetings.

The abstract should describe the topic and the rationale for the meeting.

Submission: abstract (300 words maximum).

 

Important dates

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Deadline of Call for Proposals due: 2 September 2024, 23:59 CEST.

Notification of acceptance for all proposals: 26 September 2024.

 

General Information

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The Program Committee strategically develops, creates and organizes the program. The Organization Committee coordinates the onsite work.

For questions or any other correspondence regarding the Call for Proposals, please send an email to eddi24-prog@googlegroups.com.

More information about the EDDI conference series and details on the previous EDDI conferences can be found at the EDDI website [https://www.eddi-conferences.eu].

 

Jon Johnson & Mari Kleemola

EDDI 2024 co-chairs

Register Now: Annual DDI Meetings

We're excited to invite you to the virtual Annual Meeting of the Scientific Community on May 21, 2024 (9-11am EDT) and the virtual Annual Meeting of Members on June 5, 2024 (9-11am EDT).  

Why Attend?

  • Discover the latest DDI advancements and results from the past year.

  • Engage in thoughtful discussions, providing your unique feedback and perspectives.

  • Shape the strategic direction and priorities for the upcoming year.

Who Should Attend?

  • Anyone from the DDI community, including member representatives from full and associate members, and even those who are not yet members but are interested in DDI.

Annual Meeting of the Scientific Community

  • Date & Time: May 21, 2024 (9-11am EDT)

  • Focus: Review and discuss the activities and accomplishments of the Scientific Board/Community and discuss the Scientific Work Plan for 2024-2026.

  • Register Now

Annual Meeting of Members

  • Date & Time: June 5, 2024 (9-11am EDT)

  • Focus: Review and discuss Alliance and Executive Board activities, and review and approve the DDI Alliance Strategic Plan for 2024-2027.

  • Register Now

Additional Information:

  • Prep Materials: Full agendas and more details will be shared ahead of the meetings.

  • Past Meetings: For a look back at previous accomplishments and discussions, visit https://ddialliance.org/annual-meetings.

We're looking forward to your participation and insights! 

CODATA/DDI Alliance webinar - Questions and Survey Instruments in DDI: Maximizing the Value of Your Metadata. 22 May 2024, 13.00 – 14.30 UTC.

Questions and Survey Instruments in DDI: Maximizing the Value of Your Metadata
 
CODATA and the DDI Alliance are delighted to announce our new collaborative webinar, “Questions and Survey Instruments in DDI: Maximizing the Value of Your Metadata”, free and online on 22 May 2024, 13.00 - 14.30 UTC.  
 
 
Questions and the questionnaires in which they are used serve as an important focus when reusing data, but also serve as a resource which can be used to maximise comparability across studies, and to make the design of questionnaires more efficient. Further, a rigorous description of survey logic and flow can provide the basis for automation of the data collection process, heightening efficiencies for longitudinal and other repeated surveys.
 
This webinar looks at the DDI structures for describing questions and survey instruments. Our guest speakers illustrate how this metadata can be leveraged to best effect, with examples from CLOSER, a collaborative digital infrastructure for longitudinal population studies, data and research, and two national statistics agencies: Insee (the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies), and StatsCan (Statistics Canada). Becky Oldroyd, Metadata Officer at CLOSER, shares the ways that rich metadata at the variable-, question- and questionnaire-level improves the discoverability of data for longitudinal, cross-study research. Éric Sigaud describes how Insee is developing open-source tooling to support metadata-driven workflows, such as automated creation of survey instruments. Finally, Flavio Rizzolo talks about StatsCan’s ongoing work of adopting DDI-Lifecycle tools to design and manage questionnaires using Colectica together with the agency’s in-house data tools and systems.
 
Time will be reserved for questions and discussion with the audience. 
 
 
We look forward to seeing you on 22 May!
 

DDI Developers Hackathon 2024 - Registration and Submission of Challenges now open

After the success of last years DDI Developers Hackathon in Gothenburg we would like to announce the second round for 2024.

This year we will be at the facilities of GESIS in Cologne (Unter Sachsenhausen 6-8) from Friday 10th of May until Saturday 12th of May, 2024. Please find included the agenda as a PDF as well as the registration and submission of challenges for this year's event. We also connected the event to a long weekend in most countries of Europe to make travelling for many people more convenient.

If you are already a member of the DDI Developers group we would be happy if you could also join this year.

If you are generally a developer, software engineer or programmer using or implementing tools around the DDI suite of metadata standards this event might be the chance to exchange ideas with similar people plus during the two days we would like to create some prototypical software implementations of current pain points or needed features for DDI tools. Also, you might consider to join our steadily growing community.

If you are engaged in DDI related work (e.g. in working groups or any of the boards) you are welcome to submit challenges (i.e. implementation ideas) for the participating hackers, even if you do not participate in person.

The event is sponsored by the DDI Alliance, GESIS - the Leibniz Institute of Social Sciences, the Swedish National Data Service (SND) and the University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons (FHGR) which will provide catering and the location for the whole event. For a limited number of people also sponsorships for travel costs can be provided if the member organizations cannot sponsor it.

Please register here for the Hackathon

https://forms.gle/cR845B37MtCyh1En9

Please submit ideas for topics (so called challenges) for the participating hackers here

https://github.com/orgs/ddi-developers/projects/1

During the event there will be a Hackathon Bar which provides snacks and drinks for the participating hackers at all times. Additionally there will be lunch and dinner served at fitting times during the implementation phases so hackers can fully concentrate on their tasks. The event will also start with a welcome dinner on Thursday evening and end with a thank you dinner on Saturday evening.

The results from the Hackathon will be available as Open Source software under a license (e.g. MIT, LGPL) which will allow the use in other Open Source projects as well as commercial products.

As the first Hackathon in Gothenburg last year led to highly interesting implementation ideas and synergies between developers we hope to re-create the same atmosphere this year also in Cologne. Therefore we hope to see you soon.

Best Regards
 
The DDI Developers Hackathon Organizing Team

Oliver Hopt (GESIS)
Ingo Barkow (FHGR)
Johan Fihn Marberg (SND)
Olof Olsson (SND)

Welcome New Member: Wisconsin Longitudinal Study

The DDI Alliance welcomes the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (Dr. Barry Radler, member representative) as an Associate Member!

The Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS) "is a long-term study of a random sample of 10,317 men and women who graduated from Wisconsin high schools in 1957 and of their randomly selected brothers and sisters....WLS can provide early indications of trends and problems that will become important as this larger group passes through its 60s. This is in addition to the value of the WLS in obtaining basic information about the life course as such, independent of the cohort’s vanguard position with respect to the baby boom. Also, the WLS is the first of the large longitudinal studies of American adolescents, and thus it provides the first large-scale opportunity to study the life course from late adolescence through the early/mid-60s, in the context of a complete record of ability, aspiration, and achievement." (WLS Overview)

Seeking DDI Alliance funding requests for the upcoming fiscal year (July 2024-June 2025)

Dear DDI community,

Each year, the DDI Executive Board solicits funding requests to support DDI activities.  Past funding has supported meetings, workshops, training, and tools development, among other activities.

With the next fiscal year (FY2025, July 2024 through June 2025) on the horizon, we are announcing another opportunity to submit funding requests to support DDI activities.  Requests are due by April 22, 2024 and should explain the purpose of the request, how it aligns with the Alliance's Strategic Plan, and include an itemized budget for the funding request.  (More details about annual budget funding requests are here: https://ddialliance.org/alliance/funding-guidelines-and-request-form.)  

DDI Alliance membership dues fund these requests and the Executive Board prioritizes requests that align with strategic priorities.  We strive to maintain a balanced budget and fund requests in proportion to membership revenue, although we are open to funding high-value proposals that exceed the annual budget.  To reduce costs, we also encourage funding requests that do not require travel or are located alongside existing meetings or conferences that members are already planning to attend.

Funding requests may be sent to secretariat@ddialliance.org.  

Sincerely,
DDI Executive Board

Seeking feedback on the draft DDI Alliance Strategic Plan, 2024-2027

Dear DDI community,

The DDI Alliance is pleased to announce its draft Strategic Plan, 2024-2027. The plan identifies three overarching priorities:

  1. Engaging the DDI Community

  2. Expanding the DDI Community

  3. Aligning DDI Development

The draft plan was informed by a recent membership survey, as well as reviewed by the DDI Scientific Board.

We welcome and encourage community feedback on this new draft strategic plan!  Please send all feedback to secretariat@ddialliance.org.  We will discuss and finalize this new strategic plan at the June Annual Meeting of Members.

Sincerely,
DDI Executive Board