Mission

The Czech Social Science Data Archive (CSDA) at the Institute of Sociology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (ASCR), serves as the national centre providing open access to electronic files of primary data from research projects. Data is provided for purposes of secondary statistical analysis.

The CSDA is promoting the objectives of the OECD Principles and Guidelines for Access to Research Data from Public Funding (OECD 2007) in the area of social science research in the Czech Republic.

The CSDA has the following main activities:

• acquiring and archiving datasets from Czech social science surveys as well as international surveys with Czech participation, and making them publicly available;
• collaborating in the organization of large-scale survey research projects: e.g., Czech surveys within the framework of the International Social Survey Programme and the European Social Survey;
• general promotion of secondary analysis: the CSDA facilitates the utilization of research infrastructure, conducts research in the field of data quality, maps empirical research, and deals with analytic methods.

The CSDA is not only a passive depository of electronic databases, but it actively seeks for available social science research data, conducts professional data processing, connects data with relevant research information and the context of other databases and materials and produces and publishes overviews of available data and data sources. In addition the CSDA pursues independent research activities in the field of methodology including analysis of data quality and collaborates in many research projects at the Institute of Sociology ASCR. The Archive is also a source of research instruments and procedures which have been tested in prior research, thus creating a basis for the implementation of new survey strategies. Other important ČSDA activities include:

• publishing the peer-reviewed scholarly journal Data a výzkum – SDA Info (Data and Research - SDA Info) which focuses on the methods of social research and analysis of social data, data sources for social research, and related information technologies;
• supporting higher education courses in the field of data management and data analysis;
• managing and developing the MEDARD archive which provides data services in the field of qualitative sociological research.

History: A publicly accessible social science data archive was established at the Institute of Sociology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic in 1998 under the title Sociological Data Archive (SDA). In 1999, it became an independent research department of the Institute. In 2011, the name of the department was changed to Czech Social Science Data Archive (CSDA).

Click HERE for information about CSDA projects.

Data Sharing and the CSDA

Data sharing is a pre-requisite of efficient empirical social research because: (1) data is usually utilizable beyond a single research project, (2) many research studies cannot do without combining multiple data sources and (3) connecting multiple databases creates new data sources with an added information value. Given the substantial cost of research surveys funded by the public hand, it is desirable to maximize data utilization. In this respect, the CSDA pursues its activities in line with OECD’s principles of access to research data, fulfilling the priorities of the Czech Republic’s science policy:

• OECD Principles and Guidelines for Access to Research Data from Public Funding,
• National Research, Development and Innovation Policy of the Czech Republic in 2009–2015 (see Section III.2.8., Priorities for the Development of Czech Society).

Contact Information and About the Team

Institute of Sociology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
Czech Social Science Data Archive (CSDA)
Jilská 1, 110 00 Praha 1, Czech Republic

E-mail: archiv@soc.cas.cz
Phone (+420) 210 310 231
Fax (+420) 222 220 143
URL: http://archiv.soc.cas.cz

Map

About the ČSDA Team

• Jindřich Krejčí, CSDA Director
  phone (+420) 210 310 231, jindrich.krejci@soc.cas.cz
• Tomáš Čížek, junior researcher, manager of the MEDARD archive
  phone (+420) 210 310 231, tomas.cizek@soc.cas.cz
• Johana Chylíková, research fellow
  phone (+420) 210 310 231, johana.chylikova@soc.cas.cz
• Marie Dlouhá, research fellow
  phone (+420) 210 310 215, marie.dlouha@soc.cas.cz
• Yana Leontiyeva, junior researcher
  phone (+420) 210 310 231, yana.leontiyeva@soc.cas.cz
• Vendula Pecková, research fellow
  phone (+420) 210 310 215, vendula.peckova@soc.cas.cz
• Martin Vávra, junior researcher
  phone (+420) 210 310 231, martin.vavra@soc.cas.cz

Access to Data

Access to Data

• Data is primarily accessed online, in the Data section.
• For information about access conditions and steps toward obtaining data, click here: How to obtain data.
• For information on making one’s data available through the CSDA, click here: Data depositing.

The CSDA Data Libraries

Data in the CSDA data libraries is primarily gathered from publicly funded social science research projects. However, the libraries also contain some datasets originating from commercial research organizations and from other areas of research, as well as international datasets obtained in line with data exchange contracts.

• quantitative data: primary datasets from sample interview surveys intended for secondary statistical analysis
• qualitative data: digitalized data from qualitative social science surveys (as a rule, interview transcripts, but audio or video recordings can be archived as well). Data can only be archived if it is anonymized, informants’ consent has been obtained, or no personal data is included.

Detailed documentation of datasets is available online via the NESSTAR electronic data catalogue. Datasets can be downloaded from the NESSTAR system and analyzed online after access rights have been obtained. The catalogue also contains direct links to some important international databases with Czech data.

As part of the CSDA, the MEDARD system focuses on qualitative surveys. Qualitative data are presented in the NESSTAR system. However, specific conditions apply to obtaining such data. The MEDARD data services include online technical and software support for qualitative research and digitalization issues.

Other Data Sources

International data exchange: According to the agreement governing the CESSDA network, clients from the Czech Republic can access data deposited in other CESSDA member archives through the CSDA (see CESSDA Member Organisations).

Web directory of online data sources: The CSDA website contains links to other sources of data suitable for social research: click here.

International cooperation

The CSDA participates in international networks of data organizations and data exchange systems:

• CESSDA (Council of European Social Science Data Archives)
  The CESSDA connects 21 European social science data archives. It facilitates the collection, archiving and distribution of electronic data for the purposes of instruction and social research in Europe. It supports the exchange of data and technologies and the establishment of new organizations working in line with this intent. It collaborates with other international organizations pursuing similar goals. .

• CESSDA-ERIC: The CESSDA-initiated project of a single European system of data services has become part of the so-called ESFRI Roadmap of large European research infrastructures. Within this framework, a common international infrastructure of CESSDA-ERIC is currently under construction. The Czech Republic has participated in establishing the consortium and the CSDA is building a national nod of this international infrastructure.

• REGIO (REGional Infrastructure Organization) is an informal association of data organizations from Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. Within the Central European region, it coordinates common activities for access to and exchange of data and comparative research.

• EDAN (East European Data Archive Network) is an initiative for collaboration in social science data archiving. It supports the establishment of new and development of existing activities in Central and Eastern Europe. The initiative cooperates closely with the CESSDA.

Institute of Sociology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic

The Institute of Sociology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, is one of the main centres of empirical social research in the Czech Republic. It focuses on sociological research of the contemporary society, conducting both one-time and longitudinal empirical surveys, comparative studies, opinion polls, case studies and in depth surveys. It applies state-of-art quantitative and qualitative research methods, and develops sociological methodology and theory. It also builds on evidence, concepts and methods from related scientific disciplines such as economy, law, political science, demography, social geography or gender studies. The Institute also collaborates with the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University in Prague, in teaching a doctoral program in sociology.

For more information about the Institute of Sociology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, and its research, go to: www.soc.cas.cz.

Sponsor

The establishment of a Czech nod of the large European infrastructure, CESSDA-ERIC, in the Czech Social Science Data Archive, Institute of Sociology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, is funded by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (project registration number LM2010006).

This website has been restructured and updated under the same project.

Roadmap for Large Research, Development and Innovation Infrastructures in the Czech Republic