Datafront Skill Surge: Methodologies for data integration

Course description

What do we mean when we talk about administrative data? Why is administrative data considered such a powerful tool?

Routinely collected administrative data captures interactions across the entire population, offering an unparalleled breadth and depth of information.

This on-demand series aims to equip researchers with the knowledge and skills to harness data for societal and sustainable change. This series covers important topics such as the use of administrative data in policymaking, circular economy models, climate resilience, and the impact of digital media on behaviour, with emphasis on the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and innovative strategies to address global challenges.

Participants will gain insights from experts, study case studies, and explore practical examples that illustrate how data-driven approaches and emerging technologies are transforming urban planning, agriculture, and health – that will empower researchers to shape the future of the data landscape!

• Session 32 will explore the methodologies used for integrating data across disciplines.

 

Learning mode

On-demand, self-paced 

 

Who should attend

This course is intended for:

• Data Analysts and Researchers: Those working with administrative or big data who want to deepen their understanding of its characteristics and uses.
• Policymakers and Government Officials: Decision-makers who rely on data to shape public policies.
• Public Sector Managers: Managers in government institutions seeking to optimise data usage for service improvements.
• Health and Social Care Professionals: Individuals looking to use data for improving service delivery and outcomes.
• Urban Planners and Public Health Professionals: Individuals interested in using administrative data to inform planning and health policies.

 

Aims and objectives

• Highlight the dimensions of integration: structural, semantic, temporal, and analytical.
• Explain the roles of ontologies, metadata, and technical tools in supporting integration.
• Identify common barriers and enablers of successful data integration in interdisciplinary settings.

 

Skills area and competencies

Based on the Datacise Open Learning framework, the relevant skills and competencies for this video include:

Skills Areas:

• Data Architecture and Design: Ability to design data structures and workflows that support integration.
• Cross-Disciplinary Data Synthesis: Skills in aligning data from different methodological and disciplinary traditions.
• Foresight Readiness: Ability to structure data in a way that supports scenario building and anticipatory insight.

Competencies:

• Conceptual and Semantic Alignment: Understanding how to mediate between different data languages and logics.
• Ethical Integration Practice: Competence in navigating consent, data sensitivity, and purpose alignment in integration.
• Integrative Thinking: Capacity to view data integration as both a technical and epistemological process.

 

Pre-requisite

• Foundational understanding of data types, structures, and collection methods.
• Some experience in applied research or data management.
• Interest in working across disciplines or sectors where data variety is common.

 

Learning outcomes

• Describe and distinguish the various forms of data integration.
• Recognize the importance of metadata and ontologies in integration workflows.
• Understand the ethical implications of integrating data from multiple sources.

 

Transferable skills

• Interoperability Planning: Skills in designing systems and workflows that allow data to move between platforms and domains.
• Collaborative Framing: Capacity to co-design integration strategies with partners from different disciplines.
• Futures Thinking: Enhanced ability to structure and use data for long-term scenario development and strategic foresight.

 

Assessment

Multiple choice quiz to self-check understanding. 

 

This training content was originally developed and produced by Professor Adam Chee, Datacise Education Lead at Swansea University, with narration enhanced by advanced text-to-speech technology.