Dealing with Data
Te Whakamahi i ngā Raraunga
During the course of a CHI study various types of data will be collected.
The field team and its coordinator may collect all or some of the following:
- tapes, transcripts or notes from the interviews
- maps and plastic overlays from the interviews
- photographs and diagrams
- lists of traditional sites
- mahinga kai information
- record and assessment sheets
- consent forms
- various other notes, planning papers and reports.
Security of data and information
The CHI has been designed to accommodate and incorporate the local knowledge of the tangata whenua. In fact the CHI score cannot be calculated without access to this knowledge about the river being assessed. There is often, however, concern about the disclosure of this information. There are a number of ways that data and information can be handled to minimise the risk to its integrity and to safeguard its security. We stress that tangata whenua have overall responsibility for all aspects of data/information management throughout the study. This may be achieved by the tangata whenua providing oversight and direction about handling and analysing information.
Decisions about where and how to store this data will need to be made before starting the field work. It is recommended that these decisions are made by tangata whenua and recorded as part of the planning process.
For example, you may want to answer questions such as:
- How will we protect our records from physical degradation or computer failure?
- Where will multiple backup copies of data be kept?
- How will members of the iwi or hapū access the information if they want to?
- How do we ensure the ongoing care of the information when iwi/hapū members move away or pass on?
- How widely available should the information be? Who owns it? How do we protect sensitive information? Do we want to be able to control access to it?
- Do we expect councils to use this information, and if so, how?
As the study continues and data from successive time periods are added, systems need to be in place to manage the new and subsequent material.
Overall there will be two types of data collected:
- The interview data results from the interview process and will likely consist of tapes and their transcripts and handwritten notes taken at the time of the interview. It may also include maps and overlays where those who are interviewed have indicated sites as they were interviewed.
- Field assessment data is that collected by the field team as they visit the sites and make measurements and observations. This data is likely to be recorded on the record and assessment sheets; it is more likely to be numeric or descriptive.
A software program has also been developed that can be used to record the data you collect and to prepare reports. The software is called Takiwā and is available on the Ngāi Tahu website at www.ngaitahu.iwi.nz by typing ‘Takiwā’ in the search box.
