\ DDI: Dataset Information

Dataset Information

Section 5.0 of the Data Documentation Initiative (DDI) DTD


Dataset Information's Place within the Document Structure


    Document
          |
          |---Document Description
          |---Study Description
          |---Data Files Description
          |---Variable Description
          |---DATASET INFORMATION
          |---Other Study-Related Materials

Dataset Information

This section is used for recording information that may apply at more than one of the major sections (i.e., document description, study, file, or variable levels). Currently, this section contains information describing access conditions and terms of use. It may be expanded in future versions.
Optional
Repeatable
Attributes: ID, xml:lang, source
Contains Elements:
Access Conditions


Access Conditions
This element specifies various conditions of access (and restrictions on access) as well as terms of use that apply to the entirety or parts of a dataset. Multiple access conditions can be specified, so that individual files and/or variables can have different access control applied to them. The access conditions applying to a dataset, file, variable group, or variable are indicated by an IDREF attribute on the study (2.0), file (3.0), variable group (4.1), or variable (4.2) elements called "access".

Need example

Required
Repeatable
Attributes: ID, xml:lang, source, role, type
Contains Elements:
Registration
Confidentiality Declaration
Special Permissions
Access Authority
Charges
Embargo Status
Citation Requirement
Deposit Requirement
Conditions
Disclaimer
Data Use Note


Registration
This element is used to indicate whether registration is required for use of the resource. The "required" attribute is used to aid machine processing of this element. The "URI" attribute may be used to provide a URN or URL for an online registration mechanism.

Need example.

Optional
Not Repeatable
Attributes: ID, xml:lang, source, required, URI
Contains #PCDATA


Confidentiality Declaration
This element is used to determine if signing of a confidentiality declaration is needed to access a resource. The "required" attribute is used to aid machine processing of this element. The "formNo" attribute indicates the number of the form that the user must fill out. The "URI" attribute may be used to provide a URN or URL for online access to a confidentiality declaration form.

Need example.

Optional
Not Repeatable
Attributes: ID, xml:lang, source, required, formNo, URI
Contains #PCDATA


Special Permissions
This element is used to determine if any special permissions are required to access a resource. The "required" attribute is used to aid machine processing of this element. The "formNo" attribute indicates the number of the form that the user must fill out. The "URI" attribute may be used to provide a URN or URL for online access to a special permissions form.

Need example.

Optional
Not Repeatable
Attributes: ID, xml:lang, source, required, formNo, URI
Contains #PCDATA


Access Authority
Contact person or organization (with full address and telephone number, if available) that controls access to a collection, if different from the data distributor. The URI attribute should be used to indicate a URN or URL for the homepage of the contact individual. The email attribute is used to indicate an email address for the contact individual.
Example:
<contact affil='University of Copenhagen'>The data are available from the principal investigators, Dr. Smith and Dr. Jones, at the Sociological Institute, Linnesgade 22, 4. DK-1361 Copenhagen K.</contact>
Optional
Repeatable
Attributes: ID, xml:lang, source, affiliation, URI, email
Contains #PCDATA.


Charges
Used to tell if charging is needed to access a resource. The attribute "required" is used to assist in machine processing. The attributes "model" and "currency" specify the type of calculations that must be performed in order to charge correctly.
Example:
<charging>Need example here.</charging>
Optional
Not Repeatable
Attributes: ID, xml:lang, source, required, model, currency URI, email
Contains #PCDATA.


Embargo Status
Provides information on files or variables which are not currently available because of policies established by the principal investigators, the data producers, or the archives. The ISO standard for dates (YYYY-MM-DD) is recommended for use with the date attribute. An "event" attribute is provided to specify "notBefore" or "notAfter" ("notBefore" is the default). A "format" attribute is provided to ensure that this information will be machine-processable and specifies a format for a date used within the embargo element, e.g.,
<embargo format="dd month yyyy">01 January 2000</embargo>
More generally, the format attribute could be used to specify other conventions for the way that information within the embargo element is set out, if there were agreed-upon, commonly used conventions for encoding embargo information created in the future.

Example:
<var><embargo>Data will only become available after three years.</embargo></var>

Optional
Not Repeatable
Attributes: ID, xml:lang, source, date, event, format
Contains #PCDATA.


Citation Requirement
Text of requirement that a data collection should be cited properly in articles or other publications that are based on analysis of the data.
Example:
<citReq>Publications based on ICPSR data collections should acknowledge those sources by means of bibliographic citations. To ensure that such source attributions are captured for social science bibliographic utilities, citations must appear in footnotes or in the reference section of publications.</citReq>

Optional
Not Repeatable
Attributes: ID, xml:lang, source
Contains #PCDATA.


Deposit Requirement
Information regarding user responsibility for informing archives of their use of data.
Example:
<deposReq> To provide funding agencies with essential information about use of archival resources and to facilitate the exchange of information about ICPSR participants' research activities, users of ICPSR data are requested to send to ICPSR bibliographic citations for, or copies of, each completed manuscript or thesis abstract. Please indicate in a cover letter which data were used.</deposReq>

Optional
Not Repeatable
Attributes: ID, xml:lang, source
Contains #PCDATA.


Conditions
Describes other use and access conditions information not covered in the other sections of Access Conditions.
Example:
<conditions>The data are available without restriction. Potential users of these datasets are advised, however, to contact the original principal investigator Dr. J. Smith (Institute for Social Research, The University of Michigan, Box 1248, Ann Arbor, MI 48106), about their intended uses of the data. These datasets have been and are being used extensively by researchers. Experience has shown that informing Dr. Smith of intended use of the data can prevent unnecessary and sometimes embarrassing duplication of effort and can help avoid misuse of the data arising out of misunderstanding their nature. Dr. Smith would also appreciate receiving copies of reports based on the datasets.</conditions>

Optional
Not Repeatable
Attributes: ID, xml:lang, source
Contains #PCDATA.


Disclaimer
Information regarding responsibility for uses of the data collection.
Example:
<disclaim>The original collector of the data, ICPSR, and the relevant funding agency bear no responsibility for uses of this collection or for interpretations or inferences based upon such uses.</disclaim>

Optional
Not Repeatable
Attributes: ID, xml:lang, source
Contains #PCDATA.


Data Use Note
Indicate within this item any information about the study/file/variable that does not appear in Access Conditions, and that will be helpful to potential users. "Notes" sections appear in several places in the DTD. The attributes for notes permit a controlled vocabulary to be developed (type and subject), the level of the DTD to which the note refers to be identified (study, file, variable, etc.), and the author of the note to be indicated (resp).
Example:
<notes>A knowledge of British criminal justice terminology would be helpful for those using the data. Various British governmental and law enforcement institutions are mentioned. Variables concerning the socioeconomic status of respondents, schools attended, and personality characteristics use code explanations that are not fully documented. The principal investigator has offered to consult with researchers on the use of the data. Contact Professor J. Smith, Institute of Criminology, 7 West Road, Cambridge CB3 9DT, England.</notes>

Optional
Not Repeatable
Attributes: ID, xml:lang, source, type, subject, level, responsibility
Contains #PCDATA.


Return to the DDI Tag Library.


Comments to: ddi@icpsr.umich.edu)
Last update: 1999/11/23