tukiaineiston

Tukiaineisto is a Finnish term used in research to describe data or materials that support a study but are not the central dataset used to draw the main conclusions. It can consist of supplementary data, documentation, or analyses that help readers understand, replicate, or validate the work.

Tukiaineiston contents can vary but commonly include data files or datasets that were not primary to the results, codebooks, analysis scripts, metadata, methodological notes, and additional tables or figures. It may also encompass supplementary questionnaires, interview guides, or other documentation that clarifies data collection and processing. In practice, tukiaineisto is often provided as appendices or as separate supplementary files linked from the publication or deposited in a data repository.

Relation to other data categories is important: tukiaineisto is distinct from the perusaineisto or primary dataset that underpins the main findings. It may also differ from fully derived or cleaned datasets used for analysis. The distinction helps keep the main text focused while still offering transparency and opportunities for replication.

Ethical and legal considerations apply to tukiaineisto as with any research data. Anonymization, consent for sharing, licensing, and access restrictions must be observed. When shared, tukiaineiston should be well documented to enable reuse while protecting participant privacy.

In summary, tukiaineisto represents the supplementary material that enhances transparency, reproducibility, and verification of a study without being the central source of evidence.