SERSCIDA is designed as a strategic project for supporting the cooperation and exchange of knowledge between the EU countries associated within the Council of European Social Sciences Data Archives (CESSDA) and the Western Balkan Countries (WBC) in the field of social science data archiving. The project addresses the issues of potentials of usage of information-communication technologies for the benefits of scientific research and exchange of knowledge as laid down in the call for proposals topic. The project aims to produce tangible results and improve the capacities for exchange of knowledge and data collected through research in social sciences between the European countries and WBC involved.
We have the pleasure of inviting you to participate in the Dissemination Meeting of the FP7 project SERSCIDA - Support for Establishment of National/Regional Social Sciences Data Archives, which will take place on May 29th, 2014 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. This international conference is being organised jointly by the Human Rights Centre of the University of Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), the Swiss Centre of Expertise in the Social Sciences FORS, the United Kingdom Data Archive UKDA, the Swedish National Data Service SND, the Slovenian Social Science Data Service ADP, the Philosophy Faculty of University of Zagreb (Croatia), and the Institute of Economic Sciences, Belgrade.
During this meeting we will present results of the project and discuss central issues pertaining to social science and humanities research data. This will include:
Conference participants will include data service leaders from around Europe (Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom), researchers in the social sciences and humanities, as well as decision-makers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia.
We look forward to meeting you in Sarajevo.
Lejla Somun-Krupalija
SERSCIDA Project Coordinator
'Open Access' refers to the practice of granting free Internet access to research publications and data. As all research and innovation builds on earlier achievements, an efficient system for broad dissemination of and access to research publications and raw data can accelerate scientific progress. The OECD Declaration of 2008 states "that open access to, and unrestricted use of data promotes scientific progress and facilitates the training of researchers," as well as maximizing "the value derived from public investments in data collection efforts." SERSCIDA will address the need for improved and open access to and dissemination of primary data collected through research in social sciences while at the same time trying to support reinforcement of the existing national strategies and structures, and to contribute to development of new ones.