ATSIDA collects datasets, information and other electronic resources of long term significance for research relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The datasets are acquired to support research and teaching activities in Australia and elsewhere. Materials of interest fall into four key areas:
- datasets and electronic resources for research: these are datasets that are suitable for informed use in a variety of research settings;
- replication datasets and electronic resources: these are collections of materials (datasets, computer programs and instructions, and related outputs) necessary for the replication of published or unpublished research;
- datasets and electronic resources which have a statutory or contractual obligation to be made available to the public: these are datasets which have been funded by the ARC, NHMRC and some other grant schemes;
- datasets and electronic resources which are of research significance and of importance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
ATSIDA seeks to identify and acquire material within the following areas:
- Discipline coverage: at the broadest level, datasets and other electronic resources relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies, in particular datasets about communities, individuals or groups of individuals but including demographic, health and other broad studies.
- Geographic coverage: datasets concerning Australia and its islands.
- Temporal coverage: there are no restrictions on temporal coverage.
- Time series and panel data: datasets are sought which create or add to a time series and/or panel survey.
- Thematic coverage: datasets which assist in the creation of a coherent body of materials relating to a particular discipline, field of enquiry or cultural group or region eg health, nutrition, Eora, Sydney or Pitjantjatjara, Central Australia etc.
In addition, ATSIDA will seek to acquire material of Indigenous Australian relevance and research significance:
- at the specific request or recommendation of researcher/s or community/ies;
- when collection of the datasets has been fully or partially funded by the ARC and NHMRC;
- when the datasets collection at least partially fulfils the subject criteria above and the costs of ingest, preservation and dissemination are paid for in advance;
- for replication purposes;
Material acquired by ATSIDA will have been collected in accordance with the Australian Code for Responsible Conduct of Research, in particular demonstrating:
- honesty and integrity
- respect for human research participants, animals and the environment
- good stewardship of public resources used to conduct research
- appropriate acknowledgement of the role of others in research
- responsible communication of research results.
Material will also be collected in line with ethical guidelines, such as those provided by AIATSIS or NHMRC.