Variables documentation system in Statistics Norway

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Variables documentation system in Statistics
Norway

• Anne Gro Hustoft (agt_at_ssb.no)
• Jenny Linnerud (jal_at_ssb.no)

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• Vardok (Variable Documentation System)
• The most important purposes
• A central system for documenting all variables
  in
• Statistics Norway (e.g. definition, validity
  period, code list....)
• A tool for harmonising names and definitions of
  variables.
• User involvement!
• Stepwise development!

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• Organisational information
• Project group consisting of 1 standards, 2-4
  subject matter
• and 2 IT specialists
• Reference group consisting of heads of relevant
  divisions
• Steering group consisting of heads of relevant
  departments

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• Development process using contextual design
• (2001-2002)
• Mapping of user needs and present status of
  variable documentation
• Interviews with representatives of subject
  matter divisions directly involved
• Paper prototyping, test version, testing
• User involvement 15 divisions and 42 people
• Pilot version put into production 2002

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• Development process (2003)
• Linking to other metadata systems
• Resources spent 2001-2003
• A bit more than 3 man years (more than 70 IT)
• Status
• 2002 158 variables
• 2003 510 variables documented in total

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Linking to other metadata systems
DataDok
Variable definitions
VarDok
About the statistics
File descriptions
Reports
StatBank Norway
Stabas
Dissemination
Classifications
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• Challenges in future development
• Variables based on other variables
  VarAVarBVarC
• Multilingual functionality
• Vardoks place in the production process
• Ownership of variables
• - Internet