Data principles

FTA’s PEN dataset has been peer-reviewed to ensure that it meets CGIAR’s ‘quality of research for development’ (QoR4D) framework. This framework, developed with strong methodological contributions from FTA, comprises criteria for relevance, credibility, legitimacy and effectiveness.

The PEN dataset has been independently evaluated as contributing to a well-defined research question of importance to forests, trees and agroforestry, and to FTA’s Theory of Change. A critical feature of the PEN research project was to collect detailed, high quality data on forest use. The PEN dataset also contributes new knowledge on forests, trees and agroforestry, particularly related to livelihoods, land use and forest incomes.

The credibility of the PEN dataset has been externally verified. The data belongs to an FTA partner – the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) – and can be used by FTA.

The PEN dataset has been generated through a rigorous research design; it is complete, curated and cleaned. The dataset, the underlying methods and related findings are robust, and sources of knowledge are dependable and sound. For more information on the research design for this dataset, see the following publication:

• Angelsen, A., Larsen, H.O., Lund, J.F., Smith-Hall, C., Wunder, S., (eds.) 2011. Measuring livelihoods and environmental dependence: Methods for research and fieldwork. Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Bogor, Indonesia. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17528/cifor/003341. DOI: 10.17528/cifor/003341 http://dx.doi.org/10.17528/cifor/003341.

The PEN dataset has been assessed as meeting the criteria for legitimacy. Data have been collected following both Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) and the research ethics guidelines of FTA, ensuring the underlying research process is fair and ethical and perceived as such, including proper representation of all involved and consideration of interests and perspectives of intended users. Gender considerations, and thus a gender lens, is reflected in the data collected.

The PEN dataset and related products and services are accessible and well positioned for uptake and use (by researchers and stakeholders), including capacity development and proper support to the enabling environment. PEN data on the FTA website are also available and accessible on the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) interoperable repository site, Dataverse. Data are also described by sufficient metadata (CG-Core).

If you use the PEN data in any way, we would be happy to hear from you and support the visibility of your work by publishing a data story on your research. To submit a data story, click here.

The PEN Global Dataset applies the Community Norms of Dataverse, where this dataset is originally deposited. These Community Norms, as well as good scientific practices, expect that proper credit is given via citation. No waiver has been selected for this dataset and it is subject to the relevant licencing agreements.

These data and documents are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. You may copy, distribute and transmit the data as long as you acknowledge the source through proper data citation.

PEN, 2016, “CIFOR’s Poverty and Environment Network (PEN) global dataset”, doi:10.17528/CIFOR/DATA.00021, Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), V2.

Please see the individual data files for file-specific citations.