Data Selection and Data Appraisal

 

Hallo Bloggers we are back again  and we are continuing with Data Curation this week.Specifically we are going to talk about selection and appraisal of data. Pienta et al., (2017) explains that social scientists are ever producing an expanding volume of data leading to questions about appraisal and selection of content given to finite resources to process data for reuse. By applying a data driven approach we aim to ensure that curation resources are applied to make the most valuable data findable, understandable, accessible and usable. 

Data repositories work to ensure that data are sufficiently preserved, accessible and understandable now and in the future. According to the UK Data Service (2019) selection and appraisal of data are very important in records management , digital curation and research data management. International Council on Archives (2016) explains that data selection is the process of identifying and choosing data that are considered important for long term retention or preservation. One of the main aims of data selection is to retain information that has historical, cultural, legal or administrative value.

The ever increasing dependence on digital information in research cannot be overstated.This has made data to be one of the most valuable resources in modern society. It is a given fact for all institutions storing data that not all data can be preserved indefinitely. According to Minamiyama et al., (2024) this has led to selection and appraisal of data to become a central process in data curation because this helps determine which databases deserve to be preserved for long term use.

On the other hand data selection refers to the identification of data that should be retained while appraisal involves evaluating the value, authenticity, relevance and potential usefulness of data before preservation decisions are made, (Harvey, 2008). Data curation comes with its issues and challenges and these cannot be ignored. One of the challenges with data curation is that it comes with high costs even though storage costs seem to have dropped over the years. Tjalsma & Rombouts (2010) emphasize the need to balance the costs of selection against preservation of records.

Conclusion

In conclusion for our topic for today let us remember that selection and appraisal of data are systematic processes that help researchers with long lasting scientific and ethical value. By applying clear appraisal criteria researchers or institutions can ensure that preserved data remains accessible and reusable in compliance with legal and ethical standards.

References

Harvey, R. (2008). Appraisal and selection. Digital Curation Centre.

International Council on Archives (2016). Principles and functional requirements for records in electronic office environments. International Council on Archives.

Minamiyama, Y et al., (2024). A study on formalizing the knowledge of data curation activities across different fields. PLOSONE https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0301772

Pienta, A. et al., A data driven approach to appraisal and selection at a domain data repository

Tjalsma, H.D & Rombouts, J.P (2010). Selection of data.Guidelines for appraising and selecting research data.

UK Data Service, (2019). Managing and sharing data: best practice for researchers. UK Data Service  https://ukdataservice.ac.uk


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