Supporting meaningful engagement and implementation of questionnaire metadata – Progress from the DDI Q² Working Group

The DDI standard provides a structured framework for documenting questions and questionnaires, enabling users to identify exactly what was asked of respondents to generate the data (i.e. the provenance of variables). The DDI Questions and Questionnaires (Q2) Working Group comprises 15 members representing the international DDI community. Its aim is to provide guidance for creating and meaningfully engaging with question and questionnaire metadata. To achieve this, three subgroups have been established: Guides and Best Practices, Tools, and Real Life Examples. The Guides and Best Practices subgroup is developing practical guidance that extends on existing learning materials to support meaningful engagement with and implementation of DDI question and questionnaire metadata. The Tools subgroup is collating and evaluating questionnaire design and documentation tools and their interoperability with DDI, to help users choose the tool that best meets their needs. The Real Life Examples subgroup is gathering exemplary documentation to be included in the practical guidance. This presentation will provide an overview of the Q2 Working Group’s aims, progress, and future plans. We also welcome feedback from the DDI community to ensure our work reflects and supports user needs.