European data sources a lost opportunity and a challenge

1
European data sources a (lost) opportunity and
a challenge

• Niels Ploug
• Research Director
• The Danish National Institute of Social Research

2
Introduction

• Europe has the potential to become a natural
  laboratory for the social sciences
• Europe could constitute a world leading best
  case for research in the social sciences

3
Materiale and Methods

• ESFRI European Strategic Forum for Research
  Infrastructure
• ESFRI ad hoc working group on research
  infrastructure in the Humanities and the Social
  Sciences
• Report EROHS blueprint for the European
  Research Observatory for the Humanities and
  Social Sciences

4
Results

• Short on Coherency and Funding
• Short on Accessibility
• Short on Standardisation and Quality

5
Implications

• Astonishing discrepancy between potency, ambition
  and the current state of the European
  infrastructure backbone
• Prevents high quality research with a clear
  European agenda and perspective
• Curtails the role of the social sciences in a
  knowledge based development of Europe

6
Conclusion

• A joint effort to create the dream machine for
  social research in Europe
• To create a major competitive advantage for
  European social research
• To improve the knowledge base for political
  decisions