Sharing qualitative research through open access

Qualitative data has a richness and depth that you don’t always find with numerical data. This is something I quickly discovered on joining the Virginia Tech University Libraries from a background in quantitative social science. Qualitative data can tell a more nuanced tale, and one unlikely to be exhausted in a single researcher’s work.

But how do we share qualitative data effectively when traditional data repositories are built for quantitative data? In the ever-expanding landscape of open access research, the Qualitative Data Repository (QDR) is dedicated to advancing qualitative research and promoting transparency and accessibility in the social sciences. This article explores what QDR is and how it works, shedding light on its role in democratising qualitative research.

First, I should clarify Virginia Tech’s relationship with QDR.

• Virginia Tech and QDR are partners in developing infrastructure for open access qualitative data-sharing, funded by a national leadership grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
• Virginia Tech and QDR are developing training materials for researchers on how to reuse shared data, both for QDR and in partnership with UCLA’s Open Science for Librarians initiative and Library Carpentry.

How university researchers work with the Qualitative Data Repository

Established with the goal of fostering transparency and collaboration in the social sciences, the QDR serves as a centralised hub for researchers to deposit, access and explore qualitative data sets. QDR data is accessible to anyone in the world for use in research and education. Some sensitive data do require separate applications for access, but those, too, are open to scholars internationally. QDR has deposits from researchers on all continents except Antarctica.

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Unlike traditional repositories that primarily focus on quantitative data, QDR has been tailored to the challenges and nuances of qualitative research right from the beginning. Researchers deposit their qualitative data sets with QDR. This contribution involves submitting not only their findings but also original research materials such as interview transcripts, field notes, audio recordings or any other data relevant to the study. QDR has a structured process and curation staff to guide researchers through making deposits and ensure that data adheres to standards.

Metadata and documentation play a key role in maximising QDR’s effectiveness, so researchers are required to deposit detailed information about their data sets, including the research design, methodology and contextual information. This enhances the credibility and reproducibility of the research and allows for replication and scaling of the work.

QDR operates on the principles of open access, meaning the deposited qualitative data is freely available to the public. But what about sharing sensitive information? Researchers have discretion in setting access restrictions or embargoes based on specific circumstances, such as confidential information and ethical considerations. This way, sensitive information can be protected even as QDR remains open.  

The QDR platform features robust search and discovery functionalities through keywords, topics and methodologies, which promotes interdisciplinary collaboration. Relatedly, QDR adheres to established standards for qualitative data documentation, such as the Data Documentation Initiative. Similarly, the REFI-QDA Standard allows project transfer between participating qualitative data analysis programs. Projects can be exported from one program and opened in another, where they are converted into the receiving program’s format. Consider that researchers work with their favourite tools and software and may have proprietary licences for these tools. Adhering to established standards means that not only are data sets on the platform easily located and understood, they are also compatible with and transferable through other repositories, software and tools.

Recognising the varied needs and experiences of researchers, QDR provides training and support through webinars and documentation resources to help researchers navigate the deposit process, understand best practices and harness the full potential of the platform. When users need assistance, real-time help is available from QDR experts.

A real-world example: advantages of sharing data on QDR

In 2023, I worked with Martina Svyantek, a Virginia Tech graduate student who was examining three universities’ policies from a critical disabilities point of view. Policies can be notoriously difficult to track down, but she was successful in doing just that, helping to understand how disabled students, staff and faculty were supported, monitored and controlled in university settings. She collected and analysed the data for her dissertation.

When I approached her about sharing her data through QDR, she initially demurred but ultimately agreed. Her data has already been downloaded hundreds of times; it provides a model that can be replicated and extrapolated. For example, it could be expanded to see if her findings apply to other colleges, such as community colleges or liberal arts schools. Instead of sitting on her hard drive or being lost outright, the data preserves and shares her work as a durable resource for herself and others to use and cite.

The QDR stands at the forefront of the open access movement, providing a secure, transparent and accessible space for qualitative data. As one of only a few widely accepted qualitative repositories, QDR plays a pivotal role in advancing the principles of openness, collaboration and reproducibility in qualitative research, contributing to the rich tapestry of qualitative knowledge.

Nathaniel D. Porter is social science data consultant and data education coordinator at Virginia Tech University Libraries and an affiliated research assistant professor in the department of sociology at Virginia Tech.

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