In the year 2007 CentERdata (Tilburg University, the Netherlands) started the MESS project by setting up the LISS panel. The LISS panel is an internet panel representative of the Dutch population, consisting of 5,000 households. On a monthly basis, the panel members fill out several questionnaires. One of the main goals of the MESS project was to build a data archive making survey (meta)data accessible for other researchers. Our presentation will demonstrate the LISS data archive, which we have created based on DDI 3 (Data Documentation Initiative). DDI is a standard for describing data from social, behavioral, and economic sciences. Questasy, an online dissemination tool that has implemented DDI 3 was developed to disseminate both data as metadata in the LISS data archive. When archiving surveys every aspect of the survey data itself (meta data) is described in as much detail as possible i.e. measurement scale, question type, derived publications. During presentation we will show that with Questasy, one can enter survey metadata i.e. Questions, Variable information, Data Collection Events, Concepts. We will then demonstrate that on the LISS data archive researchers can download survey data and easily browse the metadata on topics like Consumer behavior, Politics and Survey methodology, or concepts that our longitudinal Core Questionnaires cover like Personality, Work and Values.
The benefits of such a structured metadata approach based on DDI are having detailed information about data, which makes studies understandable, transparent and repeatable. It also greatly improves searchability, findability, interoperability and efficiency.