Workshop working groups 3,4 and 10

On 28 May 2016 a workshop of working groups 3, 4 and 10 for Extraction software, Clearing Committee and Extended IDS was held in Amsterdam.

Smaller changes and additions to the IDS structure, for instance on how to handle several new variables, were decided. A lot of attention was given to the development of an R-package for 'extended IDS' which will facilitate the creation of episode files for statistical analyses of IDS data. Such a package is expected to be implemented in the early autumn of 2016.

The workshop discussed at length the future of EHPS-Net. How can it be best organised and financed with a slimmer budget? The workshop also emphasised the need for a high level of scientific output from EHPS-Net. The E-journal plays a key role in this perspective, but also the organisation of workshops and round tables at major conferences, with emphasis on the comparative advantages of the IDS structure. The summer schools are also important for the visibility of EHPS-Net, as are approaching new users, such as researchers from medicine, genetics and epigenetics. High scientific output with more focus on, or connecting with, contemporary research areas will increase the possibilities for international financing. These items will be put on the agenda for discussions and decisions at the 4th meeting of EHPS-Net, Tuesday 20 September 2016, in Leuven.