Research Data Center of RISC

To study social cohesion, RISC requires scientific data. One of the institute’s central objectives has therefore been the creation of its own data center for the collection, documentation, and dissemination of research data. 

In November 2024, the German Data Forum (RatSWD) accredited the center under the name Research Data Center of RISC (RDC-RISC). This accreditation confirms that the RDC-RISC adheres to the highest standards of data management.
 

The RDC-RISC

• assumes core responsibilities for data collection, monitoring, and data management across the entire institute;
• ensures the collection, sharing, and use of research data on social cohesion for the academic community;
• supports and enables the research and transfer program of RISC;
• builds networks with other institutions;
• develops shared conceptual frameworks and empirical indicators for analyzing social cohesion.

In the second funding phase, the RDC-RISC focuses on:

• the expanded integration of central data infrastructures;
• increased internationalization and the expansion of research collaborations;
• the optimization of structures developed during the first funding phase;
• the further development of work processes.

Go to the website of RDC-RISC

RISC maintains four central data infrastructures for measuring social cohesion. These infrastructures are built on different methodological approaches that complement and enrich one another. Their longitudinal design makes it possible to analyze dynamics, diffusion, and causal relationships.

The German Social Cohesion Panel (SCP) is an annual quantitative panel survey. It focuses on relationships between major societal groups and enables nationally representative findings for Germany as a whole.

The Regional Panel (RP) is a representative repeated survey conducted in one rural municipality, one mid-sized city, and one major city in each of four federal states. The RP enables in-depth regional analyses and investigates everyday social relationships in respondents’ immediate living environments.

The Qualitative Panel (QP) employs repeated in-depth interviews to take a qualitative approach. The QP allows for biographical reconstructions and deeper understanding of people’s conceptions of cohesion, as well as the practices and mechanisms through which those conceptions are formed.

The Social Media Observatory (SMO) analyzes the “digital traces” of communication in social media. It focuses on discourses related to cohesion and examines the dynamics and transformations of public understanding through digital communication processes.