Archiving Activities

The primary activities of NACJD are the archiving and distribution of computer-readable crime and justice data collections. In particular, NACJD staff performs the following activities for most data collections.

• Evaluate the data collection for completeness, suitability for public release, and readiness for use.
• Determine whether any problems of respondent confidentiality exist, checking for problems arising either from direct or indirect identification.
• Test the technical characteristics of the documentation against the data and ensure data and documentation match.
• Consult with the principal investigator/data producer, when necessary, to remedy any problems uncovered during the review of the data.
• Standardize missing data codes.
• Reformat data to achieve more efficient transmission and storage.
• Create ASCII data files and SAS, SPSS, and Stata setup files as well as SAS transport, SPSS portable, and Stata system files to facilitate analysis. Create files in multiple distribution formats to facilitate analysis.
• Prepare finding aids, including searchable study descriptions and bibliographic citations, to assist in locating the collection within the archive.
• Convert paper documentation into electronic documentation.
• Archive both the original data and the processed data at an external site.