CESSDA - Pathways towards the future

Consortium of Social Science Data Archives

Ron Dekker / Director
Nathalie Paton / Consultant

June 2021

cessda.eu @CESSDA_Data

License: CC-BY 4.0

Outlay

1. What is CESSDA?

2. What does CESSDA provide to Member States?

3. Open discussion on pathways towards the future

 ― What is CESSDA?
― What is its mission?
― What are its main activities?

WHAT IS CESSDA?

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Consortium of Social Sciences Data Archives

European Research Infrastructure Consortium

• ERIC - European Legal Entity
• ESFRI Landmark
• Member of EOSC

22 member states and growing

Budget
Ca. 3 M€ (1.9 M€ on membership fees; other on EC projects)

22 members
Mission
ONE catalogue to access all of SHS data
• One stop shop for researchers ⇔ Access to data in 22 member
states from a single entry point
• Connected to Google Data Search

An infrastructure facilitating high-quality research CESSDA is BIGGEST

• High quality data (Trust Seal) catalogue in the world
• Inter(national) cooperation (fields, regions & countries) enabling

comparative research TWICE

• Research methods & tools for all forms of data
as big as the biggest
• Teaching & learning support and services
American archive (ICPSR)
Main activities
● Coordination of the network of European data service providers through project
management

● Work to include further data sources from Europe and beyond

● Development of standards, protocols, pertaining to data preservation and

dissemination

● Provide training (data management, data discovery, etc.) for both data producers and data
users (researchers and data experts)

● Participation in European RI bodies (EOSC, ESFRI, Science Clusters, ERIC Forum)

 ― Benefits of being part of CESSDA
― Excellency: areas in which CESSDA stands out

WHAT CESSDA PROVIDES TO MEMBER

STATES

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Benefits of being part of CESSDA
• Access to funding
• Internal funding (average of 1.5M over past 5 years)
• EC funding (allocated to research infrastructures)

• Participation in strategic developments

• Benefiting archives and researchers (via CESSDA WGs on Training, Tools &
Services, Trust and Outreach)
• Role in EOSC developments

• Access to tools and services

• Developed by CESSDA (e.g. European Thesaurus, Data Management
Expertise, social science Data Catalogue)
• Administrative services CESSDA MO provides (for EC proposals + funded projects)
• Sharing experiences and know-how with other SPs
Excellency: where CESSDA stands out
• A strong infrastructure within the realm of European Research Infrastructures
• Coordination among 22 Service Providers
• Well perceived by the EU Commission, well-positioned within the ERIC landscape, and known for
excellency in project management skills

• Return on investment/ Services to SPs

• Member States are benefiting from an important amount of services (innovation, standards, tools &
services, certification) and return on investment (EC & internal funding + tools and services) when
engaged with CESSDA Main Office

• Highest level of services in EC project management

OPEN DISCUSSION -
PATHWAYS TOWARDS THE FUTURE

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