Dataset for Paradata in data publishing – an analysis of methods information in data publishing metadata

The purpose of the data collection is to provide new knowledge about practices of including metadata describing research methods in the documentation of published datasets. This metadata is understood as a particular form of paradata. The chapter written based on the data analyzes metadata posts for datasets using directed qualitative content analysis to inquire into the contents of methods descriptions and the goals they serve. Results show that methods information in metadata posts do not in and of themselves serve to support re-use of the datasets they describe. Rather, researchers use the metadata post as a node in an information ecosystem where other pivotal nodes are the dataset itself but also related documents and publications with narrative text. To conclude, we identify a discrepancy between the the ideas about exhaustive bibliographic descriptions underpinning the FAIR principles on the one hand, and data description and data publishing practices on the other hand. We suggest further research on researchers’ intertextual crafting of methods descriptions, and how repository software and curatorial services better can support researchers’ practices.