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VerbundFDB Policies Collection Policy

Collection Policy of VerbundFDB

Collecting, archiving and sharing research data and information constitutes one of the most urgent strategic tasks for efficient and quality-assured research (e.g. Wissenschaftsrat 2012).

Against this background, the three institutes DIPF, GESIS and IQB joined forces to further expand their services in the field of empirical educational research and improve networking of their services. VerbundFDB (German Network for Educational Research Data) aims to act as a service operator for empirical educational research with the task of archiving research data and assessment  instruments, and making these data available for secondary analyses as well as for teaching purposes. VerbundFDB thus renders an important contribution to assuring that research processes and research findings are permanently transparent.

Our definition of activities and tasks for VerbundFDB is based on the definition of empirical educational research by Prenzel (2006, p. 73):

„Ihr Gegenstand umfasst Voraussetzungen, Prozesse und Ergebnisse von Bildung über die Lebensspanne, und zwar innerhalb und außerhalb von (Bildungs-)Institutionen und im gesellschaftlichen Kontext. Ihr Anliegen ist es, die Bildungswirklichkeit zu verstehen und zu verbessern; sie zielt auf ein grundlegendes und anwendungsbezogenes Wissen, auf Beschreibungs-, Vorhersage-, Erklärungs- und Veränderungswissen.“ [original Version]

“It deals with prerequisites, processes and outcomes of education across the lifespan, both within and outside of (educational) institutions and in the context of society. It aims at understanding the real situation of education and improving it. Empirical educational research targets fundamental and application-oriented knowledge, descriptive knowledge as well as predictive knowledge, explanatory knowledge and knowledge for change.” [english translation by VerbundFDB]

 Target and remit

 Which data are accepted by VerbundFDB?

 Further information and sources

Target and remit

VerbundFDB aims at an adequate coverage of the entire scope of empirical educational research on the process of lifelong learning, from early childhood to adult education. VerbundFDB moreover aims to act as a contact for archiving, sharing and documenting research data from empirical educational research. This service primarily targets researchers whose projects relate to education respectively the education system in Germany and the German-speaking area.

VerbundFDB works toward curating and sharing selected research data and respective assessment instruments from educational research for secondary analyses. VerbundFDB thus focuses on digital-format data that have emerged from research processes – data from quantitative and qualitative studies. Currently, these data concern texts, audio and video data, survey data and data from assessments of achievement and competencies. In addition, the alliance collects documentation materials that serve to understand the data, e.g. code books and method reports or documentations of assessment instruments (for a detailed list of research data and material VerbundFDB curates and shares, see Which data?).

Moreover, VerbundFDB endeavours referencing of the diverse, disseminated research findings from the entire interdisciplinary area of educational research via its research system, including references to means of access.

Which data does VerbundFDB accept?

The following formal and content criteria are fundamental:

Content criteria: The issue focuses on the question whether a sufficient potential for secondary analyses can be assumed for researchers in empirical educational research, respectively whether the data might be interesting for future research. An estimation of such interests is based on a combination of selected aspects:

VerbundFDB will check and validate the data according to the listed formal and content criteria, prior to accepting the data. Data will then be handed to one of the research data centres collaborating with VerbundFDB – for processing and documentation.

VerbundFDB reserves a right to refusal if the data do not sufficiently match its Scope and/or the listed formal and content criteria.

VerbundFDB advises data providers regarding the preparation of data for transmission to VerbundFDB. Alternatively, data providers are advised in finding a suitable repository or data centre for archiving their material if their data do not match the scope of VerbundFDB.

Further information and sources

Wissenschaftsrat (2012).  Archive, Bibliotheken, Sammlungen, Forschungsdaten: Weiterentwicklung von Informationsinfrastrukturen muss besser koordiniert werden!   (Pressemitteilung 17, accessed on 15.01.2019).

Prenzel, M. (2006). Bildungsforschung zwischen pädagogischer Psychologie und Erziehungswissenschaft. In H. Merkens (Hrsg.), Erziehungswissenschaft und Bildungsforschung. Wiesbaden: VS.

 

last update: 15.01.2019

Verbund Forschungsdaten Bildung (VerbundFDB)

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