Reflections on the Intermediate Data Structure (IDS)

Author(s)

  • George Alter

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51964/hlcs9570

Keywords:

Historical demography, Intermediate Data Structure, Data sharing, Life course, Metadata, Event history analysis

Abstract

The Intermediate Data Structure (IDS) encourages sharing historical life course data by storing data in a common format. To encompass the complexity of life histories, IDS relies on data structures that are unfamiliar to most social scientists. This article examines four features of IDS that make it flexible and expandable: the Entity-Attribute-Value model, the relational database model, embedded metadata, and the Chronicle file. I also consider IDS from the perspective of current discussions about sharing data across scientific domains. We can find parallels to IDS in other fields that may lead to future innovations.

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Published

2021-03-31

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Alter, G. (2021). Reflections on the Intermediate Data Structure (IDS). Historical Life Course Studies, 10, 71-75. https://doi.org/10.51964/hlcs9570