ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses some of the challenges to, and benefits of, archiving both quantitative and qualitative data. It draws on findings from a case study of a community initiative to demonstrate instances of where community evaluation research might present some additional challenges relating to archiving, and identified ways of overcoming those challenges. With the growth of interest in and practice relating to data archiving in social and economic research, researchers must be in a position to consider the ethical and practical issues involved in the archiving process. The existing literature highlights the debates regarding the different challenges associated with archiving qualitative and quantitative data, with some researchers arguing that quantitative data are more easily and more appropriately archived. Archiving is important that confidentiality and anonymity of participants and organizations are prioritized. The chapter concludes with key learning for community organizations, research commissioners, practitioners and researchers that may be considering archiving data.
