EURODATA - Concepts, Functions, Prospects

The main objective of the Centre is to combine comparative research on European societies and polities with social research on European integration. Consequently, the archive covers all of Europe and focusses on socio-economic and political data. Its core relates to institution-related aggregate data at the national and sub-national level.

Eurodata's central task is the establishment and maintenance of an appropriate data infrastructure for MZES-research and periodic introductions into its use. It provides publications and machine-readable information, including access to online databases. It documents external data sources of potential interest to comparative research, including non-official sources, and compiles systematic information on data institutions and enumeration programmes, with a particular focus on official and para-official statistics. It observes international efforts to develop a European database.

Eurodata divides into an information archive (with meta-information focussing on official statistics and relevant social science data), a statistics library (with all kinds of statistical manuals at the international, national and subnational level), and a file archive with computerized data (with a focus on integrated time series data).

The archive is an independent unit of the MZES. Its work is structured by medium-term development- and three-annual work-plans. They are submitted by the scientific director of the archive and are to be adopted by the board of the MZES. The archive has three permanent positions for scientists, one of which is acting as managing director. It disposes of a secretary and an own budget.

The MZES has been established in spring 1989. Full establishment of the archive was estimated to require approximately 10 years. Three major research contexts are used as a vehicle for its development:

1. establishment of the data infrastructure for cross-national comparisons with the help of a number of country studies on "Social Structure and the Welfare State" as well as related comparative projects;
2. establishment of an archive with regional data in the context of research on "Regions and Federalism";
3. generation of historical data collections through a number of data handbooks and studies on European social history.

External access to the archive derives from the general agenda of the MZES. The statistics library is a reference library and is available for all non-commercial parties. Access to computerized files depends on the data producers. Files under full control of the archive are disseminated through national data services. Access to electronic meta-information is possible worldwide through INTERNET.