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Archival Research01:40

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Some researchers gain access to large amounts of data without interacting with a single research participant. Instead, they use existing records to answer various research questions. This type of research approach is known as archival research. Archival research relies on looking at past records or data sets to look for interesting patterns or relationships. For example, a researcher might access the academic records of all individuals who enrolled in college within the past ten years and...
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Science friction: data, metadata, and collaboration.

Paul N Edwards1, Matthew S Mayernik, Archer L Batcheller

  • 1School of Information, University of Michigan, 3439 North Quad, 105 S. State St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1285, USA. pne@umich.edu

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Metadata can hinder interdisciplinary collaboration by causing

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Sciences
  • Data Science
  • Scientific Collaboration

Background:

  • Interdisciplinary research is increasing, demanding greater interoperability of data, tools, and services.
  • Metadata, typically defined as 'data about data,' is crucial for achieving interoperability.
  • Current metadata practices may inadvertently create 'science friction' among collaborators.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of metadata in interdisciplinary scientific collaboration.
  • To propose an alternative perspective on metadata, viewing it as a communication process rather than a static product.
  • To identify how metadata descriptions function in real-world scientific projects.

Main Methods:

  • Ethnographic studies of large environmental science projects.
  • Analysis of data descriptions used by collaborating scientists.
  • Qualitative assessment of metadata's role in data sharing and communication.

Main Results:

  • Metadata, often ad hoc and incomplete, can be a source of friction, impeding data sharing.
  • Useful data descriptions are frequently loosely structured and mutable.
  • Metadata-as-process, emphasizing its role in communication, is vital for collaboration.

Conclusions:

  • Rethinking metadata as a dynamic process, not just a final product, is essential for effective interdisciplinary science.
  • Supplementing formal metadata products with an understanding of metadata processes enhances data sharing and collaboration.
  • The ad hoc, incomplete, and unfinished aspects of metadata are integral to daily scientific work.