Presentation / Partners

A leading data centre for the social sciences and humanities

The CDSP is one of France’s leading centres for the production and management of social science data. Its missions include the production, preservation, and dissemination of research data. It is also a centre of expertise in quantitative and qualitative methods, working in connection with major national and European research infrastructures.

Founded in 2005 by Sciences Po and the CNRS as a Research Support Unit (UAR 828), the CDSP brings together a team of more than twenty developers, engineers, and data specialists.

The CDSP provides a range of infrastructures, platforms, and services for the academic community, fully contributing to the advancement of open science. Its areas of expertise include probability-based panels and online surveys, metadata standards, and the development and deployment of digital research infrastructures.

The CDSP’s activities are also structured around several major projects, including the ELIPSS online probability panel (Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social Sciences), the implementation of the European Social Survey in France, the CDSP Data Repository, experiments in data management procedures, and the development of  a sample management application for comparative web panels.

A team with a diverse range of expertise

To deliver its services, the CDSP is organised into several operational teams.

The Data Production team provides research teams with expertise in questionnaire design, quantitative survey methodology, and data collection. It manages the ELIPSS Panel and coordinates the European Social Survey in France, alongside other survey projects.

The Data Documentation and Dissemination team manages the CDSP Databank, a CoreTrustSeal-certified repository containing surveys based on quantitative and qualitative methods as well as datasets made available to the academic community. Together with the Digital Projects team, it contributes to the operation of several data dissemination platforms, including data.sciencespo.fr and ReQuest.fr, and documents datasets in accordance with current international standards. It facilitates access to and reuse of data by supporting users and contributes to the development of international practices and standards in the field.

The Digital Projects team provides software engineering expertise for research infrastructures in the social sciences and humanities. It designs, develops, integrates, and maintains innovative digital solutions. It also provides advice and support at both national and international levels and, more broadly, acts as an interface between the needs of research teams and Sciences Po’s IT support teams.

The Methods and Valorisation unit is dedicated to the development and dissemination of methods in the social sciences. Drawing on the CDSP’s expertise and activities across its different fields, it develops research on methods in the social sciences and humanities and contributes to their dissemination. It develops a strategy for publications, training, and events and contributes to their promotion.

The CDSP’s Scientific and Technical Council brings together experts and partners representing the Centre’s different areas of activity. Its role is to advise CDSP teams on their practices and technical decisions.

The CDSP’s Steering Committee brings together Sciences Po’s Scientific Director, the Deputy Scientific Director of CNRS Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Chair of the CDSP Scientific and Technical Council. Its role is to support the CDSP’s practices and strategic decision-making.

Partners

As part of its activities, the CDSP has developed a wide range of national and international relationships with various partners.

THE CDSP WITHIN THE SCIENCES PO ECOSYSTEM

The CDSP is a key contributor to Sciences Po’s open science policy, methodological development, and the creation of service platforms. 
The CDSP collaborates with the DRIS (Department of Resources and Scientific Information) on the implementation of data.sciencespo, Sciences Po’s institutional data dissemination platform, which is coordinated by the CDSP. This project, like many others, has been made possible through close collaboration with Sciences Po’s Information Systems Department (DSI).

The CDSP also contributes to numerous training initiatives and participates in Sciences Po’s various networks dedicated to methods and data, including Metsem, Metat, Soufflerie méthodes, DIIP, and the CIVICA Alliance.

In collaboration with Sciences Po’s Data Protection Officer and Research Integrity Officer, the CDSP supports Sciences Po’s academic community and students in managing their research data through awareness-raising and training sessions.

The CDSP also conducts specific surveys of Sciences Po students and alumni. Together with the Department of Education and Research and the School of Research, the CDSP collects data on the career outcomes of recent graduates, including through a dedicated survey of recent PhD graduates, as well as the Sciences Po Student Experience Barometer.

NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURES

The CDSP works closely with national research infrastructures, particularly IR* Progedo, contributing to the implementation of the national roadmap for research infrastructures. As a longstanding partner of the Quetelet-Progedo-Diffusion platform, the CDSP contributes through the implementation of major national and international survey projects, including the ESS, ISSP, and national election studies. The CDSP also hosts a University Data Platform, which serves as a local hub for Progedo.

At the European level, the CDSP is a partner of the ESS ERIC (European Social Survey European Research Infrastructure Consortium). A longstanding contributor to the European Social Survey, the CDSP has been responsible for implementing the French fieldwork since the fifth round of the survey. Building on this long-term relationship, the CDSP has partnered with ESS ERIC on several European projects, including SSHOC, ESS-SUSTAIN-2, and PAUL, and takes part in numerous ESS activities, including experiments on cognitive testing, participation in ESS governance bodies, and the organisation of various activities around the survey.

RESEARCH CENTRES

In addition to the many one-off projects carried out as part of its service provision, the CDSP has developed close relationships with several research centres around long-term projects and specific research topics.

The CDSP collaborates with INSEE and its metadata service on issues related to the DDI standard. It is also a key dissemination partner for CEVIPOF surveys and partnered with the OSC, now CRIS, on the CoCo project examining experiences of lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The CDSP also maintains a close relationship with the Pacte research centre, where the Banque de données informatisées socio-politiques, the precursor to the CDSP, originated. In particular, the CDSP has been responsible for conducting the ISSP survey for Pacte for several years.

PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS AND ASSOCIATIONS

The CDSP is a member of the DDI Alliance, which is responsible for developing the DDI standard, and sits on its Executive Board. The CDSP is also active in several DDI Alliance working groups, including DDI Training and Questions & Questionnaires, and coordinates the European DDI Conference Program Committee, which is responsible for organising the call for papers and selecting submissions for this annual event bringing together the international community of DDI standard users.

The CDSP also provides the secretariat for the CoreTrustSeal Board, which is responsible for awarding CoreTrustSeal certification and for the development and maintenance of the certification.

The CDSP is also a member of the Global Dataverse Community Consortium (GDCC), which coordinates and supports the community of users of Dataverse, the open-source data repository software developed by Harvard University’s Institute for Quantitative Social Sciences.

The CDSP also actively participates in the Recherche Data Gouv ecosystem, including its biannual meetings. Finally, the CDSP was a member of the Skills and Training College of the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research’s Committee for Open Science. It also participates in the URFIST Network through the Scientific Council of the associated GIS.