#  FAIR DATA

##  Making data findable, including provisions for metadata

_Are the data produced and/or used in the project discoverable with metadata,
identifiable and locatable by means of a standard identification mechanism
(e.g. persistent and unique identifiers such as Digital Object Identifiers)?_

_What naming conventions do you follow?_

_Will search keywords be provided that optimize possibilities for re-use?_

Data will be encoded using the conventions for Sociology specified in the DDI
Codebook. Data will initially be made available through the INFORM project
website (  _http://www.formal-informal.eu/en/_ )  . After the end of the
project data will be held and made available through the UK Data Archive
(UKDA).

_Do you provide clear version numbers?_

The Management Board has decided that only final versions of research data
will be made publicly available, and that raw data and working versions will
be circulated only internally.

_What metadata will be created? In case metadata standards do not exist in
your discipline, please outline what type of metadata will be created and
how._

Categories and keywords are the standard referents employing the benchmarks
developed through Data Documentation Initiative (DDI, version 3.2). The
principal referent will be the metadata standards for Sociology, although as
the project is multidisciplinary additional keywords may be taken from the
standards for other disciplines (Anthropology, Economics, Political Science).
All of these are available through the DDI Codebook.

##  Making data openly accessible

_Which data produced and/or used in the project will be made openly available
as the default? If certain datasets cannot be shared (or need to be shared
under restrictions), explain why, clearly separating legal and contractual
reasons from voluntary restrictions._

_Note that in multi-beneficiary projects it is also possible for specific
beneficiaries to keep their data closed if relevant provisions are made in the
consortium agreement and are in line with the reasons for opting out._

All processed quantitative data as well as interview summaries will be made
openly available. Unshared data will remain at the discretion of the party
that has obtained it.

_How will the data be made accessible (e.g. by deposition in a repository)?_

In the first instance data will be made available through the INFORM website.
After the project is completed data will be deposited in the UK Data Archive
(UKDA). The UKDA will assign a PID.

_What methods or software tools are needed to access the data?_

_Is documentation about the software needed to access the data included?_

_Is it possible to include the relevant software (e.g. in open source code)?_

Text files will be accessible using any of the widely used software packages
available for reading and manipulation of text. They will be downloadable and
can be analysed using any type of QCA software. Survey data will be
downloadable and suitable for analysis using any of the standard statistical
software packages currently in use.

No special software that is not commonly in use is required to access the
data.

_Where will the data and associated metadata, documentation and code be
deposited? Preference should be given to certified repositories which support
open access where possible._

After the project is completed data will be deposited in the UK Data Archive
(UKDA).

_Have you explored appropriate arrangements with the identified repository?_

This will be done in the final period of the INFORM project.

_If there are restrictions on use, how will access be provided?_

There are no restrictions on the use of publicly shared INFORM project data.

_Is there a need for a data access committee?_

The INFORM Management Board carries responsibility for issues related to data
access. After the end of the project period responsibility for issues related
to data access rests with the Project Coordinator.

_Are there well described conditions for access (i.e. a machine readable
license)?_

Having in mind that the data will be made available under a Creative Commons
licence we will be using the machine-readable codes which will be obtained
using the CC license chooser tool.

_How will the identity of the person accessing the data be ascertained?_

It is not necessary to ascertain the identities of people accessing the
publicly shared data.

##  Making data interoperable

_Are the data produced in the project interoperable, that is allowing data
exchange and re-use between researchers, institutions, organisations,
countries, etc. (i.e. adhering to standards for formats, as much as possible
compliant with available (open) software applications, and in particular
facilitating re-combinations with different datasets from different origins)?_

_What data and metadata vocabularies, standards or methodologies will you
follow to make your data interoperable?_

_Will you be using standard vocabularies for all data types present in your
data set, to allow inter-disciplinary interoperability?_

Categories and keywords are the standard referents employing the benchmarks
developed through Data Documentation Initiative (DDI, version 3.2). The
principal referent will be the metadata standards for Sociology, although as
the project is multidisciplinary additional keywords may be taken from the
standards for other disciplines (Anthropology, Economics, Political Science).
All of these are available through the DDI Codebook.

Text files will be accessible using any of the widely used software packages
available for reading and manipulation of text. They will be downloadable and
can be analysed using any type of QCA software. Survey data will be
downloadable and suitable for analysis using any of the standard statistical
software packages currently in use.

No special software that is not commonly in use is required to access the
data.

_In case it is unavoidable that you use uncommon or generate project specific
ontologies or vocabularies, will you provide mappings to more commonly used
ontologies?_

We will not be using uncommon, specific ontologies or vocabularies, but
standard ones defined in DDI codebook for Social Sciences. In fact, we have
chosen to follow standards defined by Data Documentation Initiative (DDI) in
order to make our data interoperable.

##  Increase data re-use (through clarifying licences)

_How will the data be licensed to permit the widest re-use possible?_

_When will the data be made available for re-use? If an embargo is sought to
give time to publish or seek patents, specify why and how long this will
apply, bearing in mind that research data should be made available as soon as
possible._

Data will be made available under a Creative Commons licence accessible to all
users under the condition that INFORM is acknowledged as the source of the
data in case of publication. The embargo period applies to the period before
participants in the INFORM project release the first publications of project
data.

_Are the data produced and/or used in the project useable by third parties, in
particular after the end of the project? If the re-use of some data is
restricted, explain why._

All publicly shared data will be made available for use by third parties.

No restrictions are applied.

_How long is it intended that the data remains re-usable?_

We expect data to be preserved in perpetuity in the UK Data Archive (UKDA).

_Are data quality assurance processes described?_

As part of descriptive metadata we will describe, for quantitative data, the
procedures of sampling, data collection, testing of logical consistency of
data, ways of coding of data (including refusals to answer, no responses and
missing data); in the case of interviews ways of sampling, interview
guidelines and interview procedures, while in the case of ethnographic field
reports procedures for observation and documentation will be thoroughly
described, enabling assessment of their accuracy and overall data quality.

Further to the FAIR principles, DMPs should also address:

#  ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES

_What are the costs for making data FAIR in your project?_

_How will these be covered? Note that costs related to open access to research
data are eligible as part of the Horizon 2020 grant (if compliant with the
Grant Agreement conditions)._

Open Access costs are budgeted in the INFORM grant. If necessary it will be
possible to apply for coverage of additional costs through the UCL Research
Office.

_Who will be responsible for data management in your project?_

The INFORM Management Board carries overall responsibility for data
management. Within the Management Board the individuals carrying principal
responsibility are Eric Gordy (Project Coordinator), Predrag Cvetičanin
(Research Coordinator) and Klavs Sedlenieks (Outreach Coordinator).

_Are the resources for long term preservation discussed (costs and potential
value, who decides and how what data will be kept and for how long)?_

As already stated the decisions on how what data will be kept and for how long
will be made by the Management Board of the INFORM project, but resources for
long term data preservation are not yet determined (these will be determined
during the final year of the project). After the expiry of the project period,
responsibility for data preservation resides with the Project Coordinator.

#  DATA SECURITY

_What provisions are in place for data security (including data recovery as
well as secure storage and transfer of sensitive data)?_

All publicly shared data, in addition to being available through the INFORM
website and appropriate repositories, are also held by the coordinating
institution (UCL) and the institution coordinating the field research (CESK).
In the event of data loss or corruption this form of triangulation allows for
recovery of data.

The publicly shared project data includes no sensitive data calling for
special measures related to security.

Data that may contain sensitive information (ethnographic field data and
qualitative interview data) will be stored in an encrypted form in password-
protected environments. Procedures will be devised to ascertain maximum
separation of any identifiers and the data.

_Is the data safely stored in certified repositories for long term
preservation and curation?_

The publicly shared data will be deposited in the UK Data Archive

(UKDA) for long term preservation and curation

#  ETHICAL ASPECTS

_Are there any ethical or legal issues that can have an impact on data
sharing? These can also be discussed in the context of the ethics review. If
relevant, include references to ethics deliverables and ethics chapter in the
Description of the Action (DoA)._

The research proposal is being reviewed by UCL Research Ethics Committee. We
have identified the main area in which particular sensitivity is required as
the safety/privacy of those people subject to the research.

We will not be working with people who would be regarded as vulnerable by any
standard definition, such as children. Most of the ethnographic portions of
the study involve the collection of data based on the knowledge, attitudes and
practices of adults that, while not necessarily personal, may be sensitive in
the sense that people are persecuted for their political views in many parts
of the world. This requires a critical commitment to the preservation of
anonymity, not only in the final presentations of our data but also in the
storage of this data prior to and after publication. The data made available
to researchers will be anonymised data. Raw data will not be included in the
project archive.

In practical terms, this requires ensuring that all fieldworkers are trained
in methods of keeping and storing their field notes in formats (electronic or
otherwise) that would not allow a third party to identify persons either from
names or other distinguishing features such as job titles. We will work
together with UCL Research Ethics Committee to ensure that we consistently
abide by data protection concerns with respect to the safe storage of personal
data.

The sample of research sites includes non-EU countries, some of which are
lower-income countries. Although standard schemes of benefitsharing do not
apply, consciousness of inequalities in the relationship between international
researchers and domestic publics forms an essential element of the ethos of
ethnographic research. The experienced researchers on the project will be
sensitive to power differentials inherent in this type of international
research. Our research plan involves the engagement of domestic academics in
the research as members of the project advisory board and as local advisors to
the field researchers (as described above). We also intend to seek internal
university funding for workshops in the host countries of the research at
which findings will be presented and shared with the local academic and policy
communities.

Because the project consortium consists of researchers from a range of
countries, communication and coordination of ethical standards will be
essential. Guidelines in compliance with EU standards and UCL procedures will
be distributed to all researchers as part of the project coordination.

_Is informed consent for data sharing and long term preservation included in
questionnaires dealing with personal data?_

The survey and interview instruments include information to respondents
regarding the anonymisation of data and data preservation.

#  OTHER ISSUES

_Do you make use of other national/funder/sectorial/departmental procedures
for data management? If yes, which ones?_

In the final instance policies will be determined in compliance with the
guidelines provided by the coordinating institution. The overseeing office is
UCL Research Data Services (  _https://www.ucl.ac.uk/research-
itservices/research-data-service_ )  , which assures compliance with
procedures outlined by the UCL Research Data Policy

( _https://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/research-support/researchdata/policies_ )  .