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Dataset Documentation Card Template

Dataset Name: [Descriptive name for the dataset] Version: [Version number, e.g., v1.0] Date Created: [YYYY-MM-DD] Last Updated: [YYYY-MM-DD] Created By: [Names and affiliations] Contact: [Email for questions about this dataset]

Dataset Overview

Purpose and Scope

Primary Purpose: [Why was this dataset created?] Research Questions: [What research questions does this dataset address?] Intended Use Cases: [How is this dataset intended to be used?] Scope: [What does this dataset cover? Time period, geographic area, population, etc.]

Dataset Summary

Total Records: [Number of observations/participants/data points] Data Collection Period: [Start date] to [End date] Geographic Coverage: [Where data was collected] Population: [Who or what is represented in the data] Data Types: [Survey responses, behavioral data, text, images, etc.]

Data Collection

Collection Methodology

Data Collection Method: [Survey, experiment, observation, archival, etc.] Collection Instruments: [Surveys, interview guides, measurement tools, etc.] Data Collection Team: [Who collected the data] Quality Control Measures: [How data quality was ensured]

Sampling Strategy

Target Population: [Who was the intended population] Sampling Method: [Random, convenience, stratified, etc.] Sample Size Calculation: [How sample size was determined] Recruitment Method: [How participants were recruited] Response Rate: [If applicable]

Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

  • [Criterion 1]
  • [Criterion 2]
  • [Criterion 3]

Exclusion Criteria:

  • [Criterion 1]
  • [Criterion 2]
  • [Criterion 3]

Data Structure and Variables

File Structure

dataset-name/
├── data/
│   ├── raw/                    # Original, unprocessed data
│   ├── processed/              # Cleaned and processed data
│   └── analysis-ready/         # Final datasets for analysis
├── documentation/
│   ├── codebook.md            # Variable definitions and coding
│   ├── data-card.md           # This document
│   └── collection-protocol.md  # Data collection procedures
├── code/
│   ├── cleaning/              # Data cleaning scripts
│   ├── processing/            # Data processing scripts
│   └── analysis/              # Analysis code
└── README.md                  # Quick start guide

Key Variables

| Variable Name | Type | Description | Values/Range | Missing Data Code | |---------------|------|-------------|--------------|-------------------| | [var_name] | [numeric/categorical/text/date] | [Description] | [Possible values] | [How missing data is coded] | | [var_name] | [numeric/categorical/text/date] | [Description] | [Possible values] | [How missing data is coded] | | [var_name] | [numeric/categorical/text/date] | [Description] | [Possible values] | [How missing data is coded] |

Data Formats

Primary Format: [CSV, JSON, Excel, etc.] File Encoding: [UTF-8, etc.] Date Format: [YYYY-MM-DD, etc.] Missing Data Representation: [NA, NULL, -999, etc.] Categorical Coding: [How categories are coded]

Data Quality and Limitations

Data Quality Assessment

Completeness: [Percentage of complete records, missing data patterns] Accuracy: [How accuracy was verified] Consistency: [Internal consistency checks performed] Validity: [How validity was assessed]

Known Limitations

Sampling Limitations:

  • [Limitation 1 and its implications]
  • [Limitation 2 and its implications]

Measurement Limitations:

  • [Limitation 1 and its implications]
  • [Limitation 2 and its implications]

Temporal Limitations:

  • [Time-specific factors that may affect generalizability]

Other Limitations:

  • [Any other important limitations]

Data Cleaning and Processing

Cleaning Steps Performed:

  1. [Step 1: Description of cleaning procedure]
  2. [Step 2: Description of cleaning procedure]
  3. [Step 3: Description of cleaning procedure]

Outlier Treatment: [How outliers were identified and handled] Missing Data Treatment: [How missing data was handled] Data Transformations: [Any transformations applied to variables]

Ethical Considerations

Human Subjects Protection

IRB Approval: [ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Not Required IRB Number: [If applicable] Consent Process: [How informed consent was obtained] Participant Rights: [How participant rights were protected]

Privacy and Confidentiality

Personally Identifiable Information: [What PII is included, if any] De-identification Process: [How data was de-identified] Data Security Measures: [How data is secured] Access Controls: [Who has access to what data]

Potential Risks and Harms

Privacy Risks: [Potential privacy risks and mitigation] Re-identification Risks: [Risk of re-identification and mitigation] Bias and Fairness: [Potential biases in data and implications] Misuse Potential: [How data could be misused and safeguards]

Usage Guidelines

Recommended Uses

Appropriate Analyses:

  • [Type of analysis 1]: [Why appropriate]
  • [Type of analysis 2]: [Why appropriate]
  • [Type of analysis 3]: [Why appropriate]

Research Questions Well-Suited for This Data:

  • [Research question 1]
  • [Research question 2]
  • [Research question 3]

Discouraged Uses

Inappropriate Analyses:

  • [Type of analysis]: [Why inappropriate]
  • [Type of analysis]: [Why inappropriate]

Cautions:

  • [Important caution about interpretation]
  • [Important caution about generalization]

Citation Requirements

How to Cite This Dataset: [Provide full citation format]

Acknowledgments: [Required acknowledgments for funding, institutions, contributors]

Technical Information

Software Requirements

Minimum Requirements:

  • [Required packages/libraries]

Recommended Tools:

  • [Tool 1]: [Why recommended]
  • [Tool 2]: [Why recommended]

File Specifications

File Sizes: [Approximate sizes of data files] Storage Requirements: [Total storage needed] Download Information: [Where and how to access data] Checksums: [If provided for data integrity verification]

Maintenance and Updates

Version History

| Version | Date | Changes | Updated By | |---------|------|---------|------------| | v1.0 | [YYYY-MM-DD] | Initial release | [Name] | | v1.1 | [YYYY-MM-DD] | [Description of changes] | [Name] |

Maintenance Plan

Update Schedule: [How often data/documentation will be updated] Maintenance Responsibility: [Who is responsible for maintenance] End-of-Life Plan: [When and how dataset will be archived]

Contact for Updates

Primary Contact: [Name and email] Institution: [Affiliation] Alternative Contact: [Name and email]

Related Resources

Associated Publications

  • [Citation 1]: [Brief description of how dataset was used]
  • [Citation 2]: [Brief description of how dataset was used]

Related Datasets

  • [Dataset name]: [Relationship to this dataset]
  • [Dataset name]: [Relationship to this dataset]

Code Repositories

  • [Repository name]: [URL] - [Description of code]
  • [Repository name]: [URL] - [Description of code]

Documentation

  • [Document name]: [Description and location]
  • [Document name]: [Description and location]

Appendices

Appendix A: Data Collection Instruments

[Include or reference surveys, interview guides, etc.]

Appendix B: Detailed Variable Descriptions

[Extended codebook information if needed]

Appendix C: Quality Control Procedures

[Detailed description of quality control measures]

Document Status: [ ] Draft [ ] Under Review [ ] Final Review Date: [When this document should be reviewed next] Approved By: [Name and title of approver]