Researchers and data experts gathered in Zagreb, Croatia, from December 9-11, 2024, for a conference on data sharing and secondary analysis in child and youth wellbeing research and a statistical course on how to access and compare data from different sources. The events were organised by CESSDA ERIC representatives from the Croatian Social Science Data Archive (CROSSDA), with support from the Slovenian Social Science Data Archives (ADP). The events were hosted by the University of Zagreb University Computing Centre, CROSSDA's local partner in developing research data infrastructure. The events highlighted the importance of making existing data accessible to accelerate research and improve outcomes for young people, and emphasised the value of secondary data analysis – using existing datasets to generate new insights and inform public policies. Participants explored both the advantages and challenges of data sharing, recognising its potential to improve their research practices and insights.
An important goal of the conference and the course was to connect researchers and data archives in their countries and to open up possibilities for cooperation in developing research data infrastructures that can enable legal and ethical data sharing.
The Conference on data sharing and secondary analysis in child and youth wellbeing research
With 51 participants from 15 countries and a wide array of disciplines, the conference created a diverse setting in which ideas were exchanged. The conference drew experts from the fields of psychology, sociology, economics, social work, education science, political science, medicine, information science, and computer science, coming from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia. The majority of them were academic researchers and PhD students, but data analysts, data curators, IT experts, and librarians were also present.
Some lecturers were invited directly to give their contribution to the conference. These were researchers from the COORDINATE project to present selected project results, including the presentation of the GUIDE infrastructure, representatives of data archives in target countries, Croatian researchers who are involved in ESS, SHARE and GGP research infrastructures and those who had experience with secondary data analysis and utilisation of existing datasets in research and policy settings. Others were selected through an application process.
The programme of the conference called for oral presentations covering the following broad topics: secondary data analysis for research or policy development; research datasets with potential for secondary use; and data sharing infrastructures. Selected lectures were organised in the following sessions:
COORDINATE project selected activities and results, including a presentation on future GUIDE infrastructure
Importance of research infrastructures and e-infrastructures in providing research data for secondary use
Insights, challenges and opportunities in secondary use of data
Advancing child and youth wellbeing through data sharing: mental health, social support, and civic participation
Data for social welfare research, policy and practice: poverty, social exclusion, social services and benefits, and family support
Developing data sharing infrastructures for the social sciences: CESSDA data archives
Registry data and dashboards to support child and youth wellbeing, research, policy, and practice
The full programme of the conference can be found here. Presentations and video recording will be published on Zenodo and YouTUBE before the project ends. Additionally, the Guidelines for Sharing Research Data on Human Participants that were presented at the conference will be available on Zenodo.
The statistical course on accessing and comparing data from different sources
The course equipped participants with essential skills for accessing, combining, comparing, and visualising data from different sources. These skills are especially useful in the context of informing public policies related to child and youth wellbeing. Participants learned practical techniques for obtaining secondary datasets efficiently. The Microsoft Power Query tool in Excel was used for transforming and merging data from the following sources: European Social Survey (ESS), Health Behaviour of School-Aged Children (HBSC) and the Eurostat. Creating and publicly sharing data visualisations was demonstrated using Tableau Public2, a free online platform provided by Tableau, a popular business intelligence and data visualisation tool designed to transform raw data into interactive and shareable dashboards, providing insights that can drive informed decision-making.
The course was attended by 20 people, all of whom were also attending the conference. Course participants were mostly academic researchers and PhD students with backgrounds in psychology, sociology, social work, economics, education, medicine, and political sciences. A data analyst and a data curator also attended the course. Participants came from 9 different countries (Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Slovakia).
Course materials are available here.
Participant feedback
An evaluation survey was sent to the participants after the events. Twenty-two responses were received, all from individuals who attended the conference, with 13 also having attended the course.
The survey results indicate a high level of satisfaction among conference attendees. Out of 22 respondents, the majority (86.4%) rated their overall experience as 5 (Very Satisfied), while the remaining 13.6% gave a rating of 4 (Satisfied). Notably, no participants rated the conference below 4, demonstrating consistently positive feedback.
In addition to quantitative ratings, two open-ended questions were included in the survey, asking participants to provide comments and suggestions, and if the conference motivated them to share their own data. Overall, the feedback suggests that the conference successfully addressed its intention to bring together a diverse range of disciplines, institutional backgrounds and countries, all connected with the interest in child and youth wellbeing. The agenda was viewed as well-structured, with more focused topics related to data sharing and secondary use of data as an additional unifying factor for the whole event. The conference seemed to be helpful for learning about data sources and data sharing opportunities.
"I would like to express my satisfaction with both the organization and the program of the conference. I particularly appreciated the diverse composition of participants, who brought valuable experiences and perspectives not only from various countries but also from different scientific disciplines and institutional backgrounds. This diversity significantly enriched the discussions and created an inspiring and productive atmosphere throughout the event"
"The agenda was well-designed, offering different perspectives on the use of secondary data and presenting important research infrastructures. Additionally, the conference brought together participants from various countries and served as an excellent networking opportunity."
"The conference was very well organized. In a short period of time, we had the opportunity to listen to lecturers of different profiles, with different perspectives and very rich experiences and examples from practice. Both the formal and informal part of the program offer many opportunities for exchanging experiences and networking. The conference exceeded my expectations."
"The overall atmosphere was very inspiring, motivating, and nice. I've got a lot of new knowledge and new contacts. I liked the idea, that we came from different countries and also from various disciplines. The unifying factor was the interest in child and youth well-being, also, the main topic: data sharing and secondary data analysis."
"I think the conference was very good because it focused on a specific topic, allowing participants to follow the speakers and engage in the discussion easily."
"I loved it, got inspired to both use existing data and share my data with others."
"Interesting data sources and topics for my research, thank you! New information on data sharing possibilities."
The organisational aspects of the conference were well noted and appreciated. Our host, the University of Zagreb University Computing Centre (SRCE), which provided the room and technical support for the conference, received much praise from participants both during the conference and in their evaluations. Also, it appears that the efforts invested in creating the conference concept and programme have paid off.
"The conference was very well organized. All technical equipment worked well and the communication was swift. I wish conferences generally would go that smoothly."
"The conference was well-organized, the schedule was smooth, and the breaks were sufficient. The sessions were comprehensive and valuable."
"The conference was excellently organized and timed to accommodate the participants' arrival. It was also provided with high-level technology, service, and food."
Several respondents were motivated to share data but currently lack the means or are dependent on future projects, management decisions, or external conditions (e.g., GDPR compliance). Some participants have concrete plans to share data from ongoing or future projects. Specific datasets mentioned include children’s emotional and behavioural problems and screen-based media use. One respondent is part of a research institution that actively shares datasets and hopes to inspire others. Time-load was noted as a significant barrier, with participants expressing the hope to find opportunities to archive and publish data. A few respondents currently have no datasets to share but were inspired by the conference to consider sharing in the future.
"Yes, motivated. The main problem is time-load. But I hope I will find a possibility to archive and publish data sets on children's emotional and behavioral problems and on screen-based media use."
"Definitely, the conference was inspiring for sharing data. At the moment, I don't have any such research projects to share."
Regarding the course, out of 20 active participants of the course, 13 provided valid responses in the survey. All respondents thought that the content covered in this course will be useful in their future work. The majority was satisfied or very satisfied, with only one neutral response. Overall, participants responded positively to the course, particularly appreciating the instructor's expertise and the opportunity to expand their skillsets. Feedback highlighted the value of the instructor's knowledge. However, several participants suggested improvements to the course structure and delivery. A recurring concern was the fast pace and the sheer volume of topics covered in a single day, leading to suggestions for extending the course duration or exploring alternative formats. Addressing these concerns about pacing and content density, and considering options like multi-day sessions or online modules, could enhance the learning experience and cater to different learning styles.
"I would like to express my satisfaction with the training. I really appreciated the scope and structure of the program. The most challenging part for me was keeping up with Petra, not so much because of the dynamic, but because my software is not in English, and it often took me a moment to find the correct command. For the future, it might be beneficial to consider a multi-day format, allowing us more time to work on the assignments independently. Alternatively, I personally would also appreciate the option of having this training online. Petra is a professional; her expertise is exceptional. It would be fantastic if more trainings in this area could be organized, even in an online format :-) "
"I would like to thank you very much for the opportunity to take this course. It opened up other possibilities for working with data other than government data that we have been using so far."
Impact
The events successfully raised awareness about the importance of secondary analysis of data collected by somebody else and the potential it holds for enhancing research outcomes. Existing datasets and research infrastructures such as ESS, SHARE, and GGP, together with future GUIDE research infrastructure were successfully promoted.
Many participants reported feeling inspired to share their datasets, recognizing the value that such sharing could bring to the broader research community. The events provided a platform for attendees to network, share experiences, and establish connections that could lead to future partnerships. By convening a diverse group of stakeholders - including researchers and data archivist - the events catalyzed important discussions around the benefits, challenges, and ethical considerations of data sharing.
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