3. Collection and Processing

Content on this page

Introduction
Tools for Data Collection
Tools for Processing and Analysis
Tools for Collecting and Processing Sensitive Data
High-Performance Computing (HPC)
Programvarekatalogen

Introduction

When collecting and processing data, it is important to understand which tools are offered at Kristiania. On this page you will find information and guidance materials for recommended tools for both data collection and processing, services for handling sensitive data, high-performance computing (HPC), as well as Kristiania’s Programvarekatalogen. Kristiania also has its own software kiosk. All collection and processing of research data must comply with privacy and research-ethics guidelines.

Tools for Data Collection

Below is an overview of approved, secure solutions for data collection.

Tools for Data Collection, Pulldown

For data collection in surveys, Kristiania recommends using Nettskjema, this is the only permitted survey tool when collecting personal data.

Nettskjema is a secure solution for data collection that lets you design, distribute, and manage your own questionnaires. For projects that collect sensitive data, Nettskjema can be connected to TSD (Service for sensitive data). All staff and students have access to Nettskjema through Kristiania’s agreement with the University of Oslo, which is the provider of the service.

Read more about Nettskjema on UiO’s help pages.

Read more about Nettskjema at Kristiania.
For data collection in research interviews involving audio recordings, Kristiania recommends using Nettskjema-diktafon (mobile app). The app enables secure audio recording on your own mobile device, where files are encrypted and sent directly to Nettskjema. The transcription service Autotekst is integrated with Nettskjema, which means all audio files submitted via the app will be transcribed automatically.

For the collection of sensitive data, Nettskjema-diktafon can be connected to TSD (Services for sensitive data), see separate help page.

Your mobile device should be set to airplane mode during recording to avoid interruptions. Note that files will not be forwarded to Nettskjema until the device has network access. It is also strongly recommended to quality-check the transcripts by proofreading and reviewing the audio recordings yourself.

See UiO’s help pages for how to set up and use Nettskjema-diktafon.
In projects that collect images as research data, Kristiania recommends using Nettskjema-bilde (mobile app). The app stores image files temporarily and encrypted on your mobile device and delivers them securely to Nettskjema.

See UiO’s help pages for more information.
In projects that involve recording sensitive video and audio material, it is recommended to use the Viso-app, developed by the University of Oslo. The app is used to collect data via the Nettskjema-service directly to TSD (Services for sensitive data) for secure storage and processing (preparation and analysis). To use the Viso-app, you must have an active project in TSD.

See UiO’s help page for more information.

Below we have gathered some of the commonly used software for processing and analyzing research data, with links to guidance materials and access information. This is not intended to be a complete overview, but new additions will be included over time.

Processing and Analysis, pulldown

NVivo is software designed to help researchers organize and analyze qualitative data such as interview data, responses from open-ended surveys, documents, website content, images, and video. Data can be gathered within a single project file, making it easier to conduct in-depth analyses and identify relationships across participants and other data objects. NVivo supports a wide range of file formats and includes integrated tools for visualization and querying.

Access

Staff can request a license via Programvarekatalogen.

Guides

The University of Stavanger has developed a widely used guide and training material that we recommend if you are using NVivo for the first time: https://stavanger.instructure.com/courses/3552
SPSS is a software package for data management, data transformation, and statistical analysis of quantitative data. The package supports a wide range of techniques, such as descriptive statistics, regression analysis, factor analysis, and hypothesis testing, and includes functionality for generating publication-ready charts and graphs.

Access

Staff can download SPSS from the software kiosk, which is installed on all staff machines. Students who wish to use the software should follow the instructions on IT’s help pages.

Guides

For first-time users, it is recommended to consult guidance materials, here are some suggestions:

IBM’s SPSS documentation

SPSS guide produced by Kent University

In addition, you will find books on SPSS in the library’s collection, see the overview in Oria for suggested titles.
Automated transcription can be time-saving and thereby free up time for analysis work. Staff and students at Kristiania have access to the following tool:

Nettskjema – Audio files submitted to Nettskjema via Nettskjema-diktafon are transcribed automatically.

It is strongly recommended to carry out your own read-through and proofreading, as errors may occur in the transcription files. Repeated read-throughs are also an important part of becoming familiar with your data material and contribute to idea generation and insight into the analysis process.
For recommended tools that can be used when conducting systematic and literature reviews, see the library’s page for literature search services.

For projects that handle special categories of personal data and other sensitive data, strict security requirements apply, and you must therefore use solutions designed for this purpose. The primary platform for handling sensitive data is TSD (Serivces for sensitive data).

collecting and processing of sensitive data, pulldown

TSD meets the strictest legal requirements for the processing and storage of sensitive research data. The service provides researchers with a dedicated virtual project area (a closed environment), functionality for integration with Nettskjema and the ability to work remotely from anywhere in the world. Upon request, it is also possible to get access to high-performance computing resources within TSD for processing large datasets. The service is intended exclusively for the collection, analysis, and storage of sensitive data.

TSD is provided by UiO, access and use involve costs that must be covered by the project funds. Pricing is modular and will depend on the specific needs of each project.

Read more about TSD on UiO’s help pages.

If you need to process large volumes of data or carry out advanced data analyses, you may require additional processing power. Below is an overview of key internal and external services that provide high-performance computing for various needs.

HPC, pulldown

Kristiania has established its own computing cluster for high-performance computing (High Performance Computing – HPC). The cluster is intended for research projects that need to analyze and process very large datasets or carry out complex data operations and therefore require processing power beyond what laptops or local desktop machines can provide. The platform is open for use but is still under development. The HPC platform is operated by SEIT in collaboration with IT.

Read more about access, use, and the technical description on the information page.

Apply for access to the cluster by completing the Nettskjema form.

For questions, contact hpc@kristiania.no.
NIRD is a cloud-based research platform for projects that need secure storage for larger datasets (1 TB or more). Access to NIRD is limited, and projects wishing to use the platform must therefore apply for allocations of storage and computing resources (high-performance computing) through the regular calls. If capacity is available, it is also possible to apply between calls. NIRD is provided by SIGMA2, which is part of SIKT.

Read more about NIRD and options for storage space.
When submitting an application to establish a new project in TSD, it is also possible to apply for allocation to an HPC cluster (computing cluster). Existing projects that need access to high-performance computing must contact UiO’s user support for the service directly. Whether your project requires greater computing power depends primarily on the volume of data to be processed and the complexity of the operations to be performed. For many, the computing resources allocated as standard in TSD will be sufficient.

TSD is delivered by UiO, access and use incur costs that must be covered by your own project funds.

Read more about HPC access, pricing, and the application process on UiO’s information pages.

The IT Department’s Programvarekatalogen provides a complete overview of software for which licenses can be ordered. In addition, you can submit a request for software that are not already listed.

Go to Programvarekatalogen.

Approved software that is either free or has an unlimited number of licenses is available for download to all staff computers (PC and Mac) via Programvarekatalogen

- 2. Storing
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- 4. Retrieval and Reuse
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