Acquiring qualitative data for secondary analysis

Qualidata was launched in 1994 as a proactive service for the location, documentation and preservation of qualitative social science research data. Over the course of its relatively short history, Qualidata has succeeded in gaining acceptance for the deposit and re-use of qualitative data material amongst the academic community. Initially concentrating on acquiring important early social studies, then working with the UK's Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) to operate a "datasets policy," ESDS Qualidata, now merged into UK Data Archive, is in a good position to look back and review the progress made in acquiring data. This paper draws on ESDS Qualidata's pioneering experiences in acquiring and making available qualitative data. It reflects on strategies that have proved successful and comment on others that have been less productive, developing these into guidance for others wishing to embark on the acquisition and deposit of qualitative social science research data. © 2005 FQS.