Metadater: data models and tools for documenting comparative research data

The MetaDater project develops a Metadata Management and Production System for comparative social surveys repeated over space and time. All other survey designs are in fact reductions or simplifications of that model. The overarching objectives are to develop standards to describe as well as tools to produce and to manage related metadata. The scope of information the project has to deal with is metadata according to the general definition of the Data Documentation Initiative (DDI): "Metadata (data about data) constitute the information that enables the effective, efficient, and accurate use of those datasets". All developments are based on the analysis of all phases of a study life-cycle. Based on this analysis the conceptual and relational data models for MetaDater were developed. As agreed, the results of the model development and user analyses were provided to DDI-Alliance, which will take up the life cycle model. Currently the style sheets and functionalities for the data documentation by data collectors and providers are being developed. First user test will start in June 2005. MetaDater is designed to improve interoperability of social science data bases for comparative research and will thus contribute to the emerging social science data GRID.