# IASSIST

The International Association for Social Science Information Service and Technology (or IASSIST) is an international organisation that provides professional development, communication and conferences for data librarians, archivists, and social science aligned information specialists.
Each year, the IASSIST Fellow program sponsors members from developing nations to attend events and professional development to further the advancement of information management.

## Conferences

IASSIST organizes an annual conference, typically held in May or June, focusing on data sharing and management, data access and repository tools, metadata for research data, best practices for data preservation, global information resources, new technologies, and professional development. The conference location usually rotates to a different region each year.
| Year | Country | Host city | Region | Host organisation(s) | Theme | Start Date | End Date |
| 2025 | UK | Bristol | Europe | University West of England | IASSIST at 50! Bridging oceans, harbouring data & anchoring the future | 2025-06-03 | 2025-06-06 |
| 2024 | Canada | Halifax | Canada | IASSIST with representation from Dalhousie University, Mount Saint Vincent University, and Cape Breton University | Navigating the Future of Data | 2024-05-28 | 2024-05-31 |
| 2023 | United States | Philadelphia | United States | IASSIST | Diversity in Research: Social Justice from Data | 2023-05-30 | 2023-06-02 |
| 2022 | Sweden | Gothenburg | Europe | Swedish National Data Service - SND | Data by Design: Building a Sustainable Data Culture | 2022-06-7 | 2022-06-10 |
| 2021 | | Online | All | IASSIST | IASSIST Global Virtual Conference 2021 | 2021-05-18 | 2021-5-22 |
| 2019 | Australia | Sydney | Asia/Pacific | Australian Data Archive, University of New South Wales, Aristotle Cloud Services Australia | Data Down Under: Exploring “Data Firsts” | 2019-05-27 | 2019-05-31 |
| 2018 | Canada | Montréal | Canada | McGill University, Concordia University, Université de Montréal | Once upon a data point: sustaining our data storytellers | 2018-05-29 | 2018-06-01 |
| 2017 | United States | Lawrence | United States | University of Kansas, Kansas University Libraries, Institute for Policy and Social Research, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City | Data in the middle: The common language of research | 2017-05-23 | 2017-05-26 |
| 2016 | Norway | Bergen | Europe | NSD - Norwegian Centre for Research Data | Embracing the 'Data Revolution': Opportunities and challenges for research | 2016-05-31 | 2016-06-03 |
| 2015 | United States | Minneapolis | United States | University of Minnesota | Bridging the data divide: Data in the international context | 2015-06-02 | 2015-06-05 |
| 2014 | Canada | Toronto | Canada | University of Toronto, Ryerson University, York University | Aligning data and research infrastructure | 2014-06-03 | 2014-06-06 |
| 2013 | Germany | Cologne | Europe | GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences | Data innovation: Increasing accessibility, visibility, and sustainability | 2013-05-28 | 2013-05-31 |
| 2012 | United States | Washington D.C. | United States | National Opinion Research Center (NORC) | Data science for a connected world: Unlocking and harnessing the power of information | 2012-06-04 | 2012-06-08 |
| 2011 | Canada | Vancouver | Canada | Simon Fraser University, University of British Columbia | Data science professionals: A global community of sharing | 2011-05-31 | 2011-06-03 |
| 2010 | United States | Ithaca | United States | Cornell Institute for Social and Economic Research (CISER), Cornell University Library | Social data and social networking: Connecting social science communities across the globe | 2010-06-01 | 2010-06-04 |
| 2009 | Finland | Tampere | Europe | Finnish Social Science Data Archive (fi), University of Tampere | Mobile data and the life cycle | 2009-05-26 | 2009-05-29 |
| 2008 | United States | Palo Alto | United States | Stanford University Libraries and Academic Information Resources | Technology of data: Collection, communication, access and preservation | 2008-05-27 | 2008-05-30 |
| 2007 | Canada | Montréal | Canada | McGill University | Building global knowledge communities with open data | 2007-05-16 | 2007-05-18 |
| 2006 | United States | Ann Arbour | United States | Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), University of Michigan School of Information Science, University of Michigan Library | Data in a world of networked knowledge | 2006-05-24 | 2006-05-26 |
| 2005 | United Kingdom | Edinburgh | Europe | EDINA National Data Center, Edinburgh University Data Library | Evidence and enlightenment | 2005-05-24 | 2005-05-27 |
| 2004 | United States | Madison | United States | Data and Program Library Service, University of Wisconsin-Madison | Data futures: Building on 30 years of advocacy | 2004-05-24 | 2004-05-28 |
| 2003 | Canada | Ottawa | Canada | University of Ottawa | Strength in numbers | 2003-05-27 | 2003-05-30 |
| 2002 | United States | Storrs | United States | Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, University of Connecticut | Accelerating access, collaboration and dissemination | 2002-06-10 | 2002-06-14 |
| 2001 | Netherlands | Amsterdam | Europe | University of Amsterdam | A data odyssey: collaborative working in the social science cyber space | 2001-05-15 | 2001-05-17 |
| 2000 | United States | Chicago | United States | Northwestern University | Data in the digital library: charting the future for social, spatial and government data | 2000-06-07 | 2000-06-10 |
| 1999 | Canada | Toronto | Canada | Ryerson Polytechnic University Library, University of Toronto Data Library Service | Building bridges, breaking barriers: the future of data in the global network | 1999-05-17 | 1999-05-21 |
| 1998 | United States | New Haven | United States | Yale University | Global access, local support: social science computing in the age of the World Wide Web | 1998-05-19 | 1998-05-22 |
| 1997 | Denmark | Odense | Europe | Danish Data Archives | Data frontiers in the infoscape | 1997-05-06 | 1997-05-09 |
| 1996 | United States | Minneapolis | United States | University of Minnesota Electronic Research Center | Weaving the web of social science research, data and support | 1996-05-15 | 1996-05-17 |
| 1995 | Canada | Québec City | Canada | Université Laval | Partners for access: working together in a changing data environment/L'access aux données dans un environnement en pleine mutation: un partenariat à developer | 1995-05-09 | 1995-05-12 |
| 1994 | United States | San Francisco | United States | University of California | Building bridges: resources, technology and global issues | 1994-05-03 | 1994-05-06 |
| 1993 | United Kingdom | Edinburgh | Europe | University of Edinburgh Data Library | Openness, diversity and standards: sharing data resources | 1993-05-00 | 1993-05-00 |
| 1992 | United States | Madison | United States | University of Wisconsin, Madison Data and Program Library Service | Data, networks, and cooperation: linking resources in a distributed world | 1992-05-26 | 1992-05-29 |
| 1991 | Canada | Edmonton | Canada | University of Alberta Data Library | Data in the global village: stewardship of an expanding resource | 1991-05-14 | 1991-05-17 |
| 1990 | United States | Poughkeepsie | United States | n/a | Numbers, pictures, words and sounds: priorities for the 1990s | 1990-05-30 | 1990-06-03 |
| 1989 | Israel | Jerusalem | Europe | Hebrew University Social Sciences Data Archive | Value of research data for government and business | 1989-05-15 | 1989-05-18 |
| 1988 | United States | Washington D.C. | United States | U.S. National Archives and Records Administration | Public data: use it or lose it | 1988-05-26 | 1988-05-29 |
| 1987 | Canada | Vancouver | Canada | Simon Fraser University Research Data Centre, University of British Columbia Data Library | n/a | 1987-05-19 | 1987-05-22 |
| 1986 | United States | Marina Del Rey | United States | n/a | Amidst technological turmoil: innovation and progress | 1986-05-22 | 1986-05-25 |
| 1985 | Netherlands | Amsterdam | Europe | Steinmetzarchief | Public access to public data | 1985-05-20 | 1985-05-24 |
| 1984 | Canada | Ottawa | Canada | Public Archives of Canada | Coming of age in the brave new world | 1984-05-14 | 1984-05-18 |
| 1983 | United States | Philadelphia | United States | n/a | n/a | 1983-05-19 | 1983-05-22 |
| 1982 | United States | San Diego | United States | n/a | Impact for the 80's: the integration of data services, processing, and utilization | 1982-05-27 | 1982-05-30 |
| 1981 | France | Grenoble | Europe | n/a | The impact of computerisation on social science research: data services and technological developments | 1981-09-14 | 1981-09-18 |
| 1980 | United States | Washington D.C. | United States | U.S. National Archives and Records Administration | International perspectives on statistical data for the social sciences: policy, technology, and management | 1980-05-02 | 1980-05-04 |
| 1979 | Canada | Ottawa | Canada | Public Archives of Canada | Data archiving: models for international cooperation | 1979-05-07 | 1979-05-10 |
| 1978 | Sweden | Uppsala | Europe | n/a | n/a | 1978-08-14 | 1978-08-20 |
| 1978 | United States | Itasca | United States | n/a | State of the art: perspectives | 1978-02-08 | 1978-02-11 |
| 1977 | Denmark | Copenhagen | Europe | Danish Data Archives | Western European Conference | 1977-06-00 | 1977-06-00 |
| 1977 | Canada | Toronto | Canada | Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) | Canada conference | 1977-05-00 | 1977-05-00 |
| 1977 | United States | Cocoa Beach | United States | n/a | 1st Joint Canada/U.S. IASSIST conference | 1977-02-16 | 1977-02-20 |

## History

IASSIST was formed in 1974. It emerged to manage and increase access to the growing amount of machine-readable social science data. The first IASSIST conference was held in 1977 in Cocoa Beach, Florida with 29 representatives from Canada and the United States.

## Africa Chapter

The IASSIST Africa Chapter is currently the only Regional Chapter of IASSIST. Regional chapters of IASSIST support the expedient and efficient management of IASSIST affairs and activities within their regions. The Africa Chapter was officially launched in 2021 during the first IASSIST Africa Regional Workshop held in Kampala, Uganda. It has members from several African countries and holds an annual regional workshop where members come together to discuss and share emerging trends and issues in IT, research and data services.

## IASSIST Quarterly (IQ)

The IASSIST Quarterly (ISSN: 2331-4141 Online, 0739–1137 Print) is a peer-reviewed, indexed, open access quarterly journal of articles dealing with social science information and data services. IQ represents an international cooperative effort on the part of individuals managing, operating, or using machine-readable data archives, data libraries, and data services. The IQ is published by the IASSIST and hosted by the University of Alberta Libraries.