The aim of the project is to establish a freely accessible Data Centre for Social Sciences in the Western Balkans. Existent survey data that is relevant for Social Sciences disciplines will be assembled on this webpage and made accessible to all interested groups, such as academics, policy researchers, students or governments. By addressing the lack of access to relevant data - a current impediment to Social Science research in the region of the Western Balkans – the Data Centre tries to strengthen Social Science research in and on the Western Balkans.

The Data Centre will itself not carry out surveys. Instead, it aims at centralizing and opening up existing data sources for academic research. The Data Centre Team will therefore contact institutions which are funding surveys, as well as the implementing research institutions, in order to ask for permission to include the data in our Data Centre.

The project is guided by the following four principles:

1. Universal: The Data Centre is linked to a network of academic institutions dealing with the Western Balkans, and promotes the common good of the availability of data for academic research.
2. Open: The Data is publically accessible; access is not restricted to researchers belonging to the network. Access will be provided after an online registration.
3. Easy: Access to the Data will be possible through this webpage. Data files and all relevant information will be directly downloadable for registered users. The Data Centre also makes it easy for research institutions to providing survey data to store them.
4. Quality control: The project establishes data quality standards in cooperation with specialists for Social Science survey research. Only data fulfilling the criteria will be made accessible.