Developing tools and guidelines

The IHSN seeks to provide tools and guidelines related to all phases of survey implementation, from planning and financing the process to archiving and disseminating results.

The increased focus on evidence-based policies requires more detailed data than are typically provided by national statistics offices. This has caused an increased demand for access to microdata for research and for monitoring and evaluation. But in many agencies, survey and census data are poorly documented and preserved. Also, technical, legal, and in some cases political obstacles limit access to microdata. As a result, many existing datasets remain under-exploited. To address these issues, the IHSN has developed a suite of tools and guidelines – which primary focus on microdata management has been requested both by users and the IHSN Management Group. These tools can help data producers meet their users’ needs and follow international standards and best practices.

These tools and guidelines are based on existing international standards and/or good practices, and their adoption can improve data quality, cost-effectiveness and data user satisfaction.

Most of these tools and guidelines are produced by the IHSN Secretariat in collaboration with lead specialists from IHSN member agencies and other institutions. The IHSN can also promote the standards and tools from its member agencies. These tools and guidelines are available for download from this website.

Tools

• Microdata Management Toolkit

  The Microdata Management Toolkit aims to promote the adoption of international standards (DDI, DCMI) and good practices for microdata documentation, dissemination and preservation. The IHSN Toolkit comprises a specialized DDI Metadata Editor to document data in accordance with international XML metadata standards, and a CD-ROM Builder to generate user-friendly outputs (CD-ROM, website) in html format for dissemination and archiving.

• NADA (National Data Archive) application

  NaDA is a free DDI-compliant survey cataloguing application. It complements the Microdata Management Toolkit. The main objective of NaDA is to allow data producers to publicize and disseminate metadata and microdata (optional) on-line. NADA is compliant with the Open Archive Initiative standard (XML). NADA is being used in the context of the Accelerated Data Program by National Statistical Offices and other microdata producers in many countries.

• Microdata anonymization tools

  To address the legal issue of data confidentiality, the IHSN is producing guidelines and tools on microdata anonymization in partnership with the Computer Center at Cornell University. The tools are under final testing and should be available for download in 2010.

Guidelines

• Guidelines on formulation of microdata dissemination policies

  
  The guidelines give recommendations and examples for the design of formal microdata dissemination policies.

• Survey Quality Assessment Framework (SQAF)

  
  A team of survey experts drafted the SQAF, inspired by EUROSTAT’s DESAP. The SQAF provides a checklist to survey managers that cover every aspect of managing a survey. This includes planning, budgeting and methodology. The entire document is currently under review.
  Click here to download the draft version [PDF 1.53 MB]

• Guidelines on Long-Term Preservation of Digital Data and Metadata

  
  Practical guidelines (protocols and procedures) for the long-term preservation of digital data and metadata. These guidelines have been produced for the IHSN by the International Consortium for Political and Social research (ICPSR, a large data centre at the University of Michigan, USA).

• Guidelines for Generating Census Public Use Microdata Files

  
  The document is under final review and will be posted early 2010 as an IHSN Working paper.