Access to Big Data

In this era of digital transformation, many private companies are producing increasing amounts of social, behavioural, and economic data. The availability of these data to social and economic researchers has been very limited. This working group will address the following questions: how do researchers gain regulated data access, and how does one safeguard reproducibility of research results using big data and ensure compliance with data protection and principles of research ethics? To answer these questions, the working group will examine the subject-specific research that has been conducted using big data and the conditions for data access. Moreover, the working group will identify specific barriers for researchers to access data.

• Format: Working Group
• Goal: Developing recommendations on how to reduce barriers to data from private companies
• Output: Publication of a report as part of the RatSWD Output Series
• Timeframe: Start: autumn 2017, completion by spring 2019, publication by summer 2019