Making Data Comparable: Lessons learned from the Generations and Gender Programme

This presentation explores advancements in harmonizing data within the Generations and Gender Programme (GGP), a longitudinal and multidisciplinary study that combines micro and macro data across broad age ranges. The focus lies on enhancing cross-national comparability and addressing the challenges posed by decentralized data collection methods, which often lead to variations in survey implementation. Key improvements include adopting centralized coordination, leveraging metadata processing, and integrating FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) for open science. Technological upgrades streamlined harmonization through the Data Documentation Initiative (DDI) standards and the Colectica platform, enabling systematic documentation and efficient data handling. These measures aim to ensure consistency, transparency, and reusability, strengthening the overall utility of the GGP for global researchers. The presentation underscores how adherence to international standards, combined with innovative automation techniques, fosters the creation of robust, comparable datasets critical for sociological and demographic analyses.