This white paper provides the necessary basis for understanding the requirements and specifications for remote access to sensitive data (data with potentially harmful effects in the event of their disclosure) in the social sciences and the humanities (SSH). It is result of the work implemented in SSHOC Task 5.4 Remote Access to Sensitive Data. It is intended to provide guidance and recommendations to the EOSC stakeholders for future infrastructure investment for remote access to sensitive data in the SSH.

In SSHOC Task 5.7 (Open Linked Data. Archaeology Case Study), a virtual reconstruction of the Roman theatre in Catania has been created as a case study for the transition of archaeological data to the cloud, i.e. from data silos on individual computers to webservices. The case study is based on a unified workflow that starts with the archaeological documentation and results in a virtual reconstruction. With this workflow, data manually acquired during an excavation and traditionally stored on paper can now be stored in the cloud and used for 3D visualisations of the site.

Archaeology is one of the leading proponents of Open Data in the arts and humanities, and already exhibits broad interest in FAIR, but the diversity of data types and methods used by archaeologists means adoption of FAIR will pose significant challenges, further necessitating urgent collaboration around best practice. A recurring theme is the amount of time and effort it takes to do the kinds of work that allows data to be made FAIR, by both the data creators and the repository.

This report provides a guide on setting up a Secure Remote Connection between two Trusted Research Environments (TREs). It is based on the experiences of setting up such a connection between the UKDS SecureLab and other TREs, and most recently and specifically between the UKDS SecureLab and the Secure Data Centre at GESIS within the SSHOC project, WP5.4.

The SSHOC project Deliverable D5.13 Recommendations for a FAIR compliant integrated data and metadata repository describes the implementation of the European Social Survey (ESS) pilot project to prepare cross-national survey data and metadata for the EOSC.

The report explains the various steps made to prepare and implement the new infrastructure, and the achievements reaped by the approach in terms of improved implementation of the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable).

Within task 5.2 (Hosting and sharing data repositories) of the SSHOC project, repository software is being developed based on Dataverse, for the sharing and publication of research data within the Social Science and Humanities (SSH) domain. Dataverse is open-source research data repository software developed by the Institute for Quantitative Social Science (IQSS), Harvard University. This document describes the work done by task 5.2, for the development of ‘Archive in a Box’ repository software and proof of concept of centralised installation in the cloud.

Collecting biomedical data in a social science survey is an enormous challenge due to ethical and legal issues that need to be considered. The ultimate goal is the release of the data to enable the research community to fully exploit the potential of these data. SSHOC Task 5.1 is dedicated to the release of biomedical data collected in SHARE wave 6 (DBSS) and wave 8 (accelerometer data). In the accelerometer study conducted in SHARE wave 8, a sub-sample of respondents were asked to wear an accelerometer – i.e. a sensor that captures acceleration – on their thigh for eight days.

The purpose of this report is to describe the motivation and set up of the International Secure Data
Facility Professionals Network (ISDFPN), its aims, first steps, and future plans.
ISDFPN has been set up as part of the Social Sciences and Humanities Open Cloud project (SSHOC) Task
5.4 with the aim of bringing together international colleagues working in or towards Secure Data
Facilities, to share expertise and experiences, discuss relevant areas of our work, and to spark
collaboration as well as develop new ideas.