Data Management

With 50 years of experience in collecting, processing, and distributing social science data, ICPSR offers leadership and guidance in several aspects of data management:

  • ICPSR: A Case Study: This section describes ICPSR's practices in selection and appraisal of data, ingest, access and dissemination, and disaster planning.
  • Digital Preservation: We outline practices and activities that ensure that digital content designated for long-term preservation is available and usable for as long as needed or desired. This section also describes best practices that help outside parties identify trusted digital repositories, including the steps needed to be certified under the Trusted Repositories Audit and Certification system, and the Data Seal of Approval standard.
  • Data Management Plans: This section contains a checklist of recommended elements, example plans that can be customized for specific research projects, and a series of frequently asked questions.
  • Data Citations: ICPSR has been advocating for standardized and consistent citation of data in peer-reviewed journals, working with peer-reviewed journals to adopt a set of standards that allows for easier replication of research findings and proper credit for data producers.
  • Guide to Social Science Data Preparation and Archiving: A compilation of best practices gleaned from the experience of many archivists and investigators.

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ICPSR is part of the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan.