Research using derivatives

Digital data repositories offer a diverse range of opportunities for research. However, legal, ethical, or institutional frameworks can restrict direct access to certain data and documents. Targeted information reduction offers a possible approach to making such repositories usable for research purposes. Source data is modified or reduced in such a way that research questions can still be answered, while simultaneously overcoming, as far as possible, the access restrictions that apply to the original data.

In this context, the concept of derived text formats (DTFs) (German: abgeleiteten Textformate (ATFs))  has been developed for text-based collections. DTF provides selected information, features, or structures from the source data without making the complete original content accessible.

The DFG-funded project "Forschen mit Derivaten" aims to develop and provide derived text formats (DTFs) for specific collections. Furthermore, the project investigated the extent to which the underlying principle of information reduction can be transferred to other data repositories and research contexts.
 

With this questionnaire, we would like to learn more about what data and documents you need for your research; what experience you have had with restricted or protected data access; and to what extent you have already worked with derived text formats (DTFs) or similar approaches.

Your experience and insights help us to better understand needs and challenges in different disciplines and to identify requirements for future services for research with derivatives.