Mixed methods and ethnographic researchers' perspectives on sharing qualitative research data in the social sciences

The study will entail interviewing between 12 and 20 researchers across a range of disciplines and institutions who conduct or lead either mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative) or ethnographic research, and who have either shared or considered sharing social sciences data. The purpose is to explore the perspectives on and/or approaches to sharing qualitative data held by researchers using these methods, which have not so far been central in considerations of qualitative data sharing. We aim to speak to both researchers with experience of sharing qualitative data and those who have considered sharing qualitative data but ultimately decided against doing so. This work forms part of the Materialising Open Research Practices in the Humanities and Social Sciences (MORPHSS) project, a project that examines the applicability of open research practices to researchers in arts, humanities and social sciences disciplines and explores appropriate forms of openness for these disciplines. In particular, these interviews form part of a work package on facilitating open research data in the social sciences. Findings from these interviews will inform work to develop and collate best practice guidance around qualitative data sharing for researchers in the social sciences, including guidance on situations where data sharing may not be possible, appropriate or meaningful.