Discuss Data: Open Platform for the Interactive Discussion of Research Data Quality (on the example of area studies on the post-Soviet region)

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Modern information technologies allow the allocation and unrestricted access to research data as open data. Data repositories provide the basis for debates on research results and constitute an important cornerstone in the creation of scholarly transparency. The potential of such systems goes far beyond the mere download and description of hosted files, yet it remains largely neglected in current academic practice. Contemporary repositories present the registered data rather as virtual flashcards.The project aims to establish an English-language virtual research environment (VRE) as a place of communication for the community-specific curation, annotation and discussion of research data on the example of the area studies of the post-Soviet region. The VRE is designed as a layer between distributed repositories and academic users.Connected to an established repository for digital long-term preservation and through links to various external data sources the knowledge and debates about research data shall be collected interactively and made accessible to both the academic community and the interested public. Thereby, the VRE contributes to the creation of a project-independent, transregional and sustainable information infrastructure. The upload of data collections and the aquisition of metadata will be closely linked to quality assessment and contextualization within the frame of scholarly discussions in one single place: interactive communication processes within the international research community replace the mere consumption of given static informations. The community will be involved in the curation of its own domain knowledge in ways already practiced in social networks and e-commerce. Processes and best practices will be established which ensure the gradual transfer of both the contentual and editorial responsibility for the VRE to the community.