• Presentation of the EquipEx

The DIME-SHS project (Infrastructure Data and Survey Methods in Human and Social Sciences - Données Infrastructures et Méthodes d'Enquête en Sciences Humaines et Sociales) coordinated by Laurent Lesnard, director of the CDSP. It is based at Sciences Po, in partnership with  GENES, l'INED, Université Paris 5, Telecom-ParisTech, EDF&RD and the GIS Quetelet. DIME-SHS is one of the laureats of the call for projects 2010 put in place by the Minister for Higher Education and Research entitled "Investments for the Future - Equipment for Excellence".

The DIME-SHS equipment aims to make up some of the delay accumulated by social and human sciences in France in terms of research methodology, in order to respond to the stringent requirements of international competition in this area. This equipment provides France with an innovative intermediary structure in the collection, enrichment and diffusion of data for research in SHS, both qualitative and quantitative.  Its originality stems firstly from the fact that it envisages the three phases of research protocol in a unified way, in making the most of the innovations provided by the internet and NTICs, not only to accommodate and capitalise on existing data but also to create new types of data for research.

Thus DIME-SHS is organised around three major instruments:

1.    The collect of quantitative data, in accordance with innovative protocols (the mobile web panel and call centre)

2.    The construction of a qualitative databank

3.    The collect and analysis of spontaneous expressions on the web

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1. QUANTI: Mobile Web Panel and Call Centre

The first instrument is conceptualised according to the model of the Survey Research Centres (SRC) that exist in the USA or in certain European countries. It aims to strengthen partnerships that are still insufficiently developed, between universities and public statistics institutes (such as INSEE or INED). It also aims to partly release public research from dependence on private intermediaries for the realisation of questionnaire-based studies and surveys, coming into line with international methodological norms whilst simultaneously reducing the costs of investing in data collection. Alongside the standard framework (call centre platform), the creation of a panel of respondents solicited via NTIC, or the conducting of experiments in multi-modal data collection, will allow France to reposition itself at the frontline of quantitative research in SHS.

•  Context

• Lack of means specific to the French university community to conduct questionnaire-based research.
• Weak French academic presence on the international scene concerning methodological research by questionnaire.

• Solutions

• Respect the highest degree of statistical rigor and quality (random representative sampling of the French population)
• Technological innovation: each person selected to participate will receive a mobile internet device and an internet subscription in exchange for his/her participation.

• Strengths

• Reduction of the costs and delays associated with data collection, through the use of internet resources
• Ease of use of new mobile internet frameworks compared to computers
• Mobile web panel and the telephone call centre are complementary in conducting methodological research (mixed mode)

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2. QUALI: Archival and diffusion of qualitative studies

The second instrument aims to develop a qualitative data bank (BEQuali) and to address France's shortcomings in this area. Its development will enable the preservation of the history of qualitative research conducted in SHS. It will involve using the possibilities of the internet to facilitate the diffusion of and access to qualitative studies, in offering researchers innovative services of enrichment, exploration and exploitation of archived material. Ultimately this instrument will enable the amelioration of research protocols, methodological innovation and will ensure cumulativity of qualitative research through the development of secondary analysis. 

• Context

• The majority of French research in SHS is qualitative
• There is a significant lag in capitalisation on data from qualitative studies
• This project is the prolongation of a feasibility study financed by TGE-ADONIS and then by Sciences Po, which led to the initial prototype of the bank.
• It is connected to the ANR RE-ANALYSE project during the experimental phase.

• Solutions

• Preservation and diffusion of studies that have a strong potential for re-use by researchers in SHS, or which have heritage value.
• Contribute to epistemological reflection regarding the qualitative process and secondary analysis, and to the renewal of methodology teaching.

• Strengths

• Holistic archival and contextualisation of the studies
• "Research on the research" to reconstitute the original research process
• Innovative platform for the visualisation and exploration of studies online

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3. WEB: Collection and analysis of spontaneous expression

The third and final aspect of the equipment sets up a framework for the exploitation and access of "web data". This involves recognising the emergence of new fieldworks with the development of spontaneous expression on the "social web": the quantity and diversity of traces left by social interaction on the internet represent a significant resource for research. Yet this data remains little or poorly exploited because of the lack of appropriate investigatory methods. This framework therefore aims to develop protocols for data collection and analysis that are both innovative and adapted to the digital world. This instrument will represent the first equipment in France to propose a service of collection of data from the web to be used for research purposes, this kind of service being currently only available in the private sector. It will also allow French research to come into line with similar equipments that already exist elsewhere (MIT Cambridge in the US for example).

• Context

• Absence of equipment in France allowing researchers to collect data from the web
• Large quantity and diversity of information representing unprecedented opportunities for SHS, but ongoing problems with the quality and authentification of this information.
• Expertise of the Medialab at Science Po.

• Solutions

• Create specific protocols to improve the skills of researchers regarding the reliability of information collected online.
• Develop methods of analysis of "spontaneous web expressions" corpuses. 

• Strengths

• Diversity of data, frequency of collection and size of corpus available for scientific research
• "Web data" instrument is complementary with the other instruments of the equipment.