Expertise & Guidance

Internal resources

The ADA staff bring expertise in quantitative and qualitative data archiving, social science methodology, access management and user experience. ADA staff include experts in technology, digital security, software development and programming. Academic staff at ADA regularly publish in peer reviewed social science and digital humanities journals and are recognised experts in associated fields.

The ADA is situated within POLIS: The Social Policy Research Centre at ANU [17]. This arrangement provides the ADA ready access to a range of academic experts in social policy research, methodology, and data experts in a range of relevant social science fields. The ADA benefits from the advice and contribution of members of the POLIS scientific advisory board [66]. The board members include international and Australian leaders in survey research, with particular expertise in survey design, internet-based surveys, sampling error, and longitudinal research.

Recurrent funding from ANU has supported the continued operation of ADA since 1981 and provides sufficient resources to recruit and train appropriately skilled staff.

ADA maintains an internal wiki to capture and share resources among staff including training and onboarding content. ADA staff regularly undertake professional development including workshops and seminars, conference attendance, and auditing of courses in the POLIS curriculum.

All ADA staff meet twice weekly to discuss any data protection and access issues with the Director. The ANU Research Contracts Office and University Legal Office are available to advise ADA on contracts and intellectual property issues.

Internal expertise and continued funding and resources ensures the ADA can accommodate evolutions in data types, volumes, and rates. The ADA regularly adopts and develops effective new technologies including digital tools for data processing and risk assessment, and data discovery and dissemination.

External engagement

The ADA actively engages with a range of networks, organisations, and activities that provide opportunities for exchanging professional expertise and industry guidance. Current engagements related to social science research infrastructure include:

• Project partner and work package lead on: The WorldFAIR Project (https://worldfair-project.eu/)
• Member organisation with: World Data System (WDS; https://worlddatasystem.org/)
• Steering Group and Expert Group members for the: Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia Decadal plan for social science research infrastructure (https://socialsciences.org.au/news/decadal-plan-for-social-science-research-infrastructure-launches/)
• The ADA host institution is a member organisation with: Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC): https://ardc.edu.au/
• ADA staff are individual members of: International Association of Social Science Information Service and Technology (IASSIST): http://www.iassistdata.org/
• Staff attend and teach into training programs at: Australian Consortium of Social and Political Research (ACSPRI): http://www.acspri.org.au/