Total Error Sheets for Datasets (TES-D) -- A Critical Guide to Documenting Online Platform Datasets

arXiv (Cornell University)

Abstract

This paper proposes a template for documenting datasets that have been collected from online platforms for research purposes. The template should help to critically reflect on data quality and increase transparency in research fields that make use of online platform data. The paper describes our motivation, outlines the procedure for developing a specific documentation template that we refer to as TES-D (Total Error Sheets for Datasets) and has the current version of the template, guiding questions and a manual attached as supplementary material. The TES-D approach builds upon prior work in designing error frameworks for data from online platforms, namely the Total Error Framework for digital traces of human behavior on online platforms (TED-On, https://doi.org/10.1093/poq/nfab018).

Authors 6

1. Leon Fröhling Aachen

   GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences, Cologne, Germany

   RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

2. Indira Sen Aachen

   GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences, Cologne, Germany

   RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

3. Felix Soldner

   GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences

   Affiliation as printed

   GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences, Cologne, Germany

4. Leonie Steinbrinker

   Leipzig University

   Affiliation as printed

   Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany

5. Maria Zens

   GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences

   Affiliation as printed

   GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences, Cologne, Germany

6. Katrin Weller

   GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences · Center for Advanced Internet Studies

   Affiliation as printed

   GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences, Cologne, Germany

   CAIS - Center for Advanced Internet Studies, Bochum, Germany