The 15 recruited ESRs and their research teams, supported by the partner organisation, undertook analyses in the fields of humanities, demography, sociology, informatics, economics, statistics, health and geography, using longitudinal analyses techniques, Big Data, data mining and data linkage, under the common structure of 3 research Working Packages (WPs). The Network exploited a large number of historical and current databases, and also advanced in the complex process of conceptualising and implementing the intermediate data structure (IDS), to take advantage of the rich information of these databases and to understand social processes through individual life trajectories. The exchange of information and methodologies, the delivery of trainings and the implementation of the Individual Research Projects (IRP) by ESRs were essential to reach a substantial impact on the field of humanities, social sciences and health sciences.
The training programme was implemented according to the objectives, but also targeted to the ESRs’ needs in terms of research training and skills gap. Apart from the expected training, other courses organised by the network and by other organisations were offered to ESRs, according to their Career Development Plans. The exposure to the private sector was ensured by the participation of two companies (ESRI and TELNET). The secondments (in the private and/or the public beneficiaries) increased the cooperation among teams and the enhancement of fellows’ knowledge in research methodologies, data management and statistical techniques.
The dissemination and the outreach were implemented through the participation in conferences, seminars and workshops, the publication of articles in peer reviewed journals, the use of social networks and websites, the meeting with non-specialists audiences, etc.
The main exploitable results of the project are:
1.1 Catalogue of longitudinal registers
1.3 Report on Concepts and Techniques for Record Linkage
1.2 Report on Concepts and Techniques for data curation, management and statistical analysis
1.4 Report on Concepts and Techniques for Record Linkage
2.1 GIS mobility tool
2.2 Compilation of different GIS layers on mortality
2.3 Compilation of GIS layers on Italian demographic
2.4 Tool to visualize indicators of environmental exposures
2.5 Tool to locate life courses on maps
2.6 Web Portal for Health and Population
3.1 Report on the IDS and extraction software
3.2 Report on the coordination of the building of extraction software
3.3 Report on different Algorithms
3.4 Data mining, extraction software
6.7 Dissemination via a special volume of an e-journal
The exploitation of these results will be done as follows:
- Reports: this will be useful for other researchers and data scientists who work with data linkage and Big Data in different fields;
- Tools and methods: they will be exploited by scientists who work with similar kind of health or historical data, or need to compare different databases for their own researches.
- E-journal: the volume, «Major Databases with Historical Longitudinal Population Data: Development, Impact and Results» (Special issue 2020), will contribute to spread the results of different approaches to the main topic of the volume among the scientific community.
Finally, at individual level, the ESRs have produced different results according to their IRP: GIS layers on mortality; definition of concepts, data models, methods and analytical tools for longitudinal analyses, individual record linkage and data exploitation; working papers and reports on health, sociological and demographic analyses, etc.
