Project-level documentation
Project-level documentation usually takes the form of a general README file in .txt format that provides the context for data collection and outlines the steps taken for the collection, processing, and analysis of the entire project data. If not using a specific metadata standard, recommended headings for a project-level README file include:Â
- General information: title of the project, motivation for data collection, research questions, a brief description of the contents of each file or group of files, folder organization, naming convention, contract information.
- Data collection: methodology and tools used for data collection, dates of data collection, software used for data processing and/ or analysis, the provenance of the data and any prior processing (if re-using data).
- Licenses and access restrictions: license under which the data can be reused, of the access level placed on the data.
Object-level documentation
Object- (or measurement-) level documentation provides information at the level of individual objects, which can be different depending on the type of data at hand. When handling quantitative data this would mean documentation on variable attributes (e.g., labels, codes, data type, missing values), data annotation and/or table relationships. The contextual and background information, participant details of interviews, observations, or diaries are characteristic object-level information when working with qualitative data.
Image source
Example 1: UK Data Service (link: https://ukdataservice.ac.uk/app/uploads/spssdocu-1.gif )
Examples 2 and 3: FSD (link: https://www.fsd.tuni.fi/en/services/data-management-guidelines/processing-qualitative-data-files/
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