Data curation by FDZ Bildung – What happens to the data?

At FDZ Bildung, a team of trained information specialists and knowledgeable staff with subject-specific and method expertise are engaged in processing incoming data.

In each case, an individual agreement is available in pdf format Datengebervereinbarung (PDF, available in German) which serves as a basis for transmission and processing of data.

I. Initial Check

After uploading the research data and materials, they will be checked by staff at FDZ Bildung for formal accuracy, i.e.

whether the transmitted data correspond to those specified in the agreement,
whether the files can be opened and read, and
whether the earlier submitted metadata correspond to those in the files.

Data entry is recorded in a database. Check lists are used for this first assessment of the entered data which co-operating centres in the alliance for research data in education - Verbund Forschungsdaten Bildung - have agreed on.

II. Safe storage

Original files submitted by research projects are then copied and encrypted. Files are stored in two separate locations, backups are automatically generated.

In a next step, copies are processed for safe storage.

Clear identifiers are attached,
files are renamed,
formats are converted if necessary (e.g. Word files to PDF).

Copied files are processed on servers that are only accessible by authorized users, by authorised staff.

III. Indexing, processing and documentation

Prior to making research data available for secondary use, the data are checked:

Are the data complete and comprehensible? Metadata (formal, administrative, technical, content) are added to the data and referenced to improve re-usage. Data are entered into the catalogue.
Are data protection requirements met? Further measures might be taken to anonymize data or take care of specific protection.

Data type specific procedures are then applied:

Qualitative data: indexing either at the level of individual recorded units (e. g. lesson videos) or at the level of an entire data collection.
Assessment instruments (questionnaires, tests): data adjustment and assessment of items, scales and constructs and allocation to the system of categories.

IV. Registration

Prior to their release, research data are registered at the agency da|ra to assure their findability and citation. Data are thus assigned a Digital Objekt Identifier (DOI), to assure permanent accessibility.

V. Publication

Data sets will be released for publication after completion of processing, and thus be searchable via the web portal of FDZ Bildung and their DOI.

Users can submit an application for usage of these data.