by Aatisha Cyrill
Qualitative Data Repository (QDR) is an invaluable tool for researchers to store, share, and reuse qualitative data. For many researchers, particularly in the social sciences, collecting qualitative data has traditionally been a one-time effort. Once the research is published, the data often disappears, eventually becoming inaccessible to future scholars. QDR seeks to change this by providing a platform for long-term, secure, and ethical data sharing, helping researchers get the most out of their work and empowering future research.
So, if you work with qualitative data and are looking for a reliable, ethical, and impactful way to manage and share your work, QDR is the platform you might need.
What is QDR?
The Qualitative Data Repository is housed at Syracuse University and serves as a trusted repository for qualitative social science data. QDR provides a venue for curating, storing, preserving and sharing digital data generated through qualitative and multi-method research in a way that facilitates reuse, transparency, and collaboration. QDR meets all federal criteria for data repositories and can also help researchers meet the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy requirements. Whether you’re a researcher conducting interviews, ethnographic studies and case studies or discovering resources for your work, the platform provides easy access to deposit and discover data. By doing so, it helps advance social science research and fosters a culture of openness and reproducibility in qualitative analysis.
What are the key features?
QDR provides researchers with a range of essential services, all designed to ensure that your data is preserved, discoverable, and reusable:
- Why Store Your Data with QDR?
The platform follows best practices outlined by the Data Preservation Alliance for the Social Sciences (Data-PASS), ensuring that deposited data meets high standards across various dimensions. Here’s how:- Usable: Your data is stored in widely accepted, machine-actionable digital formats, ensuring its reusability by future researchers.
- Discoverable: QDR’s catalog is publicly available and freely searchable, making it easy for others to find and access your data.
- Meaningful: QDR ensures that your data comes with the necessary metadata and documentation, providing context that facilitates effective reuse.
- Citable: Persistent, globally resolvable identifiers are assigned to each dataset, ensuring that your data is properly cited and linked to its specific version.
- Secure: Data is stored following strict policies to protect confidentiality and privacy, complying with both legal requirements and the ethical standards of the research community.
- Non-discriminatory: Access to data is open and non-discriminatory, supporting a wide range of disciplines and researchers.
- Durable: Long-term preservation is a priority, ensuring that your data remains available for future generations of researchers.
- Support for Researcher and Institutions
QDR offers a comprehensive range of services for researchers, academic institutions, and nonprofits. For researchers, QDR provides guidance on managing and sharing qualitative data, including support with data preparation, risk assessments, and long-term preservation. Read in detail about these services and institutional membership on QDR’s services webpage. - Extensive Resources and Guidance
QDR goes beyond simply offering a place to store your data. The platform provides detailed guidance on a variety of topics, from data management and anonymization to ethical considerations and legal compliance. Whether you’re new to sharing qualitative data or a seasoned researcher, QDR’s resources ensure you have the tools you need to share your data responsibly and effectively. - Annotation for Transparent Inquiry (ATI)
A standout feature of QDR is Annotation for Transparent Inquiry (ATI). ATI allows researchers to embed excerpts from their qualitative data directly into their publications. This feature not only makes the research process more transparent but also enables others to engage with your data in real time, providing an interactive layer of insight that can help contextualize your findings and foster deeper scholarly engagement.
Addressing a Critical Problem
For years, qualitative data has largely been underutilized in the social sciences. While such data is rich with insights, it’s often collected for a single purpose and then discarded, in part due to the lack of infrastructure to store and share it. QDR fills this gap by offering a platform that expands access to qualitative social science data, empowering new research and enabling scholars to build on the work of others.
If your research has generated qualitative data that you would like to share or contribute to developing training and resources, QDR is the platform worth exploring. To learn more, visit the Contact Us, FAQ, and Services pages.
Aatisha Cyrill is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Information Science with a specialized focus on User Experience Design at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Alongside her academic pursuits, Aatisha serves as a valued member of the UW Digital Libraries team, fulfilling the role of UX and Research Data Initiatives Assistant. With a passion for crafting seamless digital experiences and a commitment to advancing research through innovative data initiatives, Aatisha embodies a unique blend of academic rigor and practical expertise in the field of information science.