Infrastructure services and needs for the provision of enhanced qualitative data resources

The article provides an overview of the opportunities and challenges faced by a national qualitative data service provider, and specifically, how these relate to broader infrastructural requirements, based mainly on the case of the UK. Tracing the history of the UK service Qualidata since 1994 makes it possible to pinpoint how major cultural and funding barriers have been overcome, and how new opportunities have enabled the UK service to gain a renewed lease of life. The second part of the article outlines the new UK Economic and Social Data Service, which has a specific qualitative data component built in to it. The new directions of the service and its promised deliverables are described, and suggestions made on some key developments in national infrastructure that would greatly contribute to its success. Two areas of particular significance are the establishment of more coordinated and mandatory social science datasets policies by research funders; and a nationally coordinated research methods training strategy that recognises the value of secondary analysis of qualitative data. Finally, the article provides specific information on a UK pilot project to make qualitative research data on Edwardian England available online.