Dagstuhl Sprint, October 2016 (Week Two)

The DDI (Data Documentation Initiative) metadata standard, originally created in 1995 to document social science research data, has in recent years become relevant to new user groups, including the official statistics and medical research communities. In order to respond to these new users, DDI is developing a model-based specification (DDI Version 4) that can be expressed in XML Schema, RDF-S/OWL, relational database schema, and program languages. Such a data model will make it easier to interact with other disciplines and other standards, to understand the specification, to develop and maintain it in a consistent and structured way, and to enable software development that is less dependent on specific DDI versions.

Throughout the past year, content modeling teams have been working virtually to model DDI 4 to ensure that it can document a broad spectrum of data. This year’s Dagstuhl “sprint” will focus creating re-usable multi-purpose documentation, controlled vocabularies, complex data capture and description, and funding proposals.

Goals

This workshop will extend and build upon the progress made during the past 3 years of development. The sprint will focus on four main areas of work:

Re-usable Structured Documentation: As DDI releases a first version of the Codebook Functional View to the community, documentation and documentation structure becomes essential for its successful implementation. The work during this week, will concentrate on developing both high-level and field-level documentation to assist archives, libraries, and statistical agencies, migrating from an older version of DDI to DDI 4.

Integration of Data Capture: The integration of data capture into the full DDI Views model; real world examples which will be documented.

Validation of Data Description: Validation and quality assessment of the data description model using a range of real world examples.

Controlled Vocabularies: A closer working relationship with the Controlled Vocabularies Group since Controlled Vocabularies are used throughout the model.

Funding Opportunities: Explore opportunities and create re-usable documentation for potential funding proposals, scope is local, national and international.

Long-term Metadata Infrastructure: A long term plan for how the DDI Alliance fits into the larger social science research community.

Outcomes

1. Develop a documentation structure which can be re-used for multiple purposes. Initial base content will be written that will support the needs of different user groups (i.e. technical perspective), applied usage in substantive content areas, etc. The modular form of the documentation will also provide the basis for training materials to be used by all DDI user communities.
2. Profile of the DDI requirements for a tool to support the creation and maintenance of Controlled Vocabularies. A defined process for more closer integration of the Controlled Vocabularies into the overall production activities of DDI. A canonical format for Controlled Vocabulairies will be identified.
3. The existing model on data capture will be integrated with other related parts of the overall model. Its utility will be validated against real world examples which will also serve as documentation.
4. The data description model will be assessed against a range of real world examples, which will be documented to illustrate the use of the model.
5. Building blocks for funding proposals will be written.
6. A strategic vision for how DDI enables the social science research infrastructure will be created.

See also the Dagstuhl webpage for this event.