Paradata: Documenting Data Creation, Curation and Use

by Isto Huvila, Lisa Andersson, Zanna Friberg, Ying-Hsang Liu, Olle Sköld

Overview

To make sense of data and use it effectively, it is essential to know where it comes from and how it has been processed and used. This is the domain of paradata, an emerging interdisciplinary field with wide applications. As digital data rapidly accumulates in repositories worldwide, this comprehensive introductory book, the first of its kind, shows how to make that data accessible and reusable. In addition to covering basic concepts of paradata, the book supports practice with coverage of methods for generating, documenting, identifying and managing paradata, including formal metadata, narrative descriptions and qualitative and quantitative backtracking. The book also develops a unifying reference model to help readers contextualise the role of paradata within a wider system of knowledge, practices and processes, and provides a vision for the future of the field. This guide to general principles and practice is ideal for researchers, students and data managers. This title is also available as open access on Cambridge Core.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781009366588
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	08/07/2025
Pages:	238
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 1.50(h) x 9.50(d)

About the Author

Isto Huvila is Professor in Information Studies at the Department of Archives, Libraries and Museums at Uppsala University. He is an interdisciplinary information studies scholar who has given numerous talks and published widely on information and knowledge management, information work, knowledge organisation, documentation, research data and social and participatory information practices. He has edited and co-edited books on paradata, research outside the academy, archaeological information work and digital literacy.

Lisa Andersson is a researcher at the Department of Archives, Libraries and Museums at Uppsala University, where she received her master's degree in library and information science in 2011 and her doctoral degree in 2017. Her research focuses on data and information management, including research data and information management systems, knowledge organisation and data descriptions, data publishing and use. She has published in library and information science journals as well as in cross-disciplinary journals in the fields of archaeology and digital humanities.

Zanna Friberg is a Ph.D. candidate in Information Studies at the Department of Archives, Libraries and Museums at Uppsala University. She holds a BA in archaeology and an MA in museum and cultural heritage studies. Some of her research interests include heritage collections, research data management, historical information systems and digitalisation in cultural heritage institutions.

Ying-Hsang Liu is a researcher in the Department of Archives, Libraries and Museums at Uppsala University. He specialises in interactive information retrieval, focusing on AI in human-computer interaction, human-centred data science and knowledge organisation. His expertise spans the design and evaluation of search systems. He co-edited 'Information and Knowledge Organisation in Digital Humanities: Global Perspectives' (2022).

Olle Sköld is Senior Lecturer at the Department of Archives, Libraries and Museums and the director of the Master's Programme in Digital Humanities at Uppsala University. His research is characterised by a broad interest in the ALM field, research data creation and use and digital humanities.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: paradata: documenting data creation, management and use Isto Huvila; 2. The concept of paradata Olle Sköld; 3. Paradata 'in the wild': how and where paradata emerges in research documentation Olle Sköld and Lisa Andersson; 4. Methods for generating and documenting paradata Ying-Hsang Liu and Isto Huvila; 5. Methods for identifying paradata for data reuse Ying-Hsang Liu and Isto Huvila; 6. Methods for managing paradata Zanna Friberg and Isto Huvila; 7. A paradata reference model Isto Huvila; 8. Future directions: making paradata matter Isto Huvila; Index.

Editorial Reviews

‘The book Paradata: Documenting Data Creation, Curation, and Use is a remarkable contribution to the field, offering deep insights into the complex practices and processes behind data documentation. By exploring the multifaceted nature of paradata, the book emphasizes its crucial role in ensuring the clarity, reuse, and long-term value of research data. The interdisciplinary approach, drawing from archaeology and information science, presents a comprehensive framework for understanding and managing paradata, making it an essential resource for researchers and practitioners alike. Paradata is something that we all need to embrace and understand in our data-driven world, and this book is a wonderful compilation, offering insights and invaluable context. Congratulation to the chief editor, advisory board members, all those who gave feedback, and the contributing authors.’ Jane Greenberg, Drexel University

‘Huvila and his colleagues provide a much-needed and timely analysis of ‘paradata’. Paradata help us to understand the processes by which data are conceptualised and made, and those processes are never neutral nor innocent. Understanding these processes is crucial for the effective management, storage and re-use of data.’ Sally Wyatt, Maastricht University, The Netherlands

‘If you are looking for an understandable and thorough discussion of how data is created and curated, Paradata is for you. Both a summation of the European Research Council funded CAPTURE research project and a primer on the concept and complexities of what makes up paradata - including data creation, curation and use - this book is of interest to a wide audience of information professionals or everyone who works with research data in any stage.’ Carol Tenopir, University of Tennessee, Knoxville (Emerita)

‘This insightful volume introduces the concept of paradata: documentation of the circumstances in which data is made, managed, and used. Huvila and co-authors integrate comprehensive literature synthesis with robust empirical findings to produce an accessibly written, thought-provoking book. Scholars, practitioners, and students of data practices, data management, and data policy will find this book to be a rich and helpful resource.’ Melanie Feinberg, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

From the Publisher