This proposal seeks funding to stage a workshop at the Maxwell School, Syracuse University in April 2009 to bring together scholars who conduct qualitative research in political science. The goal of the workshop is to begin to develop practices to allow such scholars to archive their data in order that it will be available to other scholars to analyze. Approximately 13 senior scholars will join 6 to 8 junior scholars or graduate students in the development of archiving practices. Topics to be considered include human subject concerns, dealing different types of qualitative data, the impact on archiving on how qualitative research is conducted, and the use of information technology on uploading, storing and accessing data.
The 6 to 8 junior scholars or graduate students will be expected to collect qualitative data during the year following the workshop. With the input of senior scholars at the workshop, they will work during that period to archive their data at an archive at the Maxwell School. This activity will provide models with which to encourage other scholars to archive their data. In addition, they will provide a beta test for the archiving practices developed at the workshop.
This project's broader impacts include the development of a systematic repository for qualtitative data, which would then make the data available to other scholars in readily usable forms.
