Duke University Libraries Partners with the Qualitative Data Repository

Duke University Libraries has partnered with the Qualitative Data Repository (QDR) as an institutional member to provide qualitative data sharing, curation, and preservation services to the Duke community. QDR is located at Syracuse University and has staff and infrastructure in place to specifically address some of the unique needs of qualitative data including curating data for future reuse, providing mediated access, and assisting with Data Use Agreements.

Duke University Libraries has long been committed to helping our scholars make their research openly accessible and stewarding these materials for the future. Over the past few years, this has included launching a new data repository and curation program, which accepts data from any discipline as well as joining the Data Curation Network. Now through our partnership with QDR we can further enhance our support for sharing and archiving qualitative data.

Qualitative data come in a variety of forms including interviews, focus groups, archival materials, textual documents, observational data, and some surveys. QDR can help Duke researchers have a broader impact through making these unique data more widely accessible.

“Founded and directed by qualitative researchers, QDR is dedicated to helping researchers share their qualitative data,” says Sebastian Karcher, QDR’s associate director. “Informed by our deep understanding of qualitative research, we help researchers share their data in ways that reflect both their ethical commitments and do justice to the richness and diversity of qualitative research. We couldn’t be more excited to continue our already fruitful partnership with Duke University Libraries”

Through this partnership, Duke University Libraries will have representation on the governance board of QDR and be involved in the latest developments in managing and sharing qualitative data. The libraries will also be partnering with QDR to provide virtual workshops in the spring semester at Duke to enhance understanding around the sharing and management of qualitative research data.

If you are interested in learning more about this partnership, contact datamanagement@duke.edu.