the institutional perspective on research data management

The Institutional Perspective

Chris Awre

Research Data Management @ Hull: What You Need To Know

29 January 2013

What we’re doing to meet data management challenges, and how you fit in

Starting points

• Management of research data happens

– Existing activity is acknowledged

• Current research data management (RDM) initiatives are based on three main trends

– The amount of data is growing (the data deluge)– Data management is required more, across

multiple disciplines– Increasing perception of the value of data– …and a fourth – demonstrating return on

investmentResearch Data Management @ Hull | 29 January 2013 | 2

RDM @ Hull: Why?

• In many cases current practice may be sufficient

• But…

– Funder requirements may not always be feasible to implement at the project level

– Institution level services and support can help meet requirements and save the cost of repeating activity across multiple projects

– National and international data centres may also be appropriate for use

• Data management is not just storing the data securely

– Building the value of the data through active, local management

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RDM @ Hull: What?


This, and other, events

EPSRC roadmap

University Research DataManagement Working Group

Assessing current practice

Research data management

websiteEngagement in

research bid process

Data management

planningHydra repository Research Storage Service

RDM @ Hull: When?

• When to manage data?

– At all stages of the research lifecycle

• Key to enabling this is making it easy to embed

– Minimise effort, whilst demonstrating benefits of effort undertaken

• Timetable?

– Our decision– EPSRC requirements have to be met by May 2015– What advantage can we gain from enhancing our

data management?


RDM @ Hull: Who?

• Research data management support is not the sole responsibility of any current support service – nor should it be

– But we can all work together to create the whole picture of support

• Units involved, currently and potentially:

– Library and Learning Innovation– Research Funding Office– ICTD– Knowledge Exchange– Faculty/Departmental admin– Others?

• How can we complete the jigsaw?


RCUK data management principles

• Publicly funded research data are a public good, and should be available

• Follow best practice for data management, now and in the future (for preservation)

• Ensure the data is well-described and access is clear

• Acceptance that there are good reasons why data isn’t shared, but that these should be monitored

• Researcher should have some sole use of data generated

• Data sources should be acknowledged/cited

• Public funds can be used to manage data, using efficient means


EPSRC data management roadmap


AwarenessPolicies

and processes

Data curation

Resourcing

Nine expectations

Preserving Non-digital data

MetadataPublication link to data

Manage access

How can we support these?

• Spread the word

– Advocacy opportunities

• Increase awareness of third-party services we can use

– National/international data centres, etc.

• Increase understanding of data curation

– Staff development requirement?

• Roadmap has associated actions

– Assess potential contribution to these– Identify others that may apply, or add to current actions, to

help meet the expectation

• Use the RDM Working Group to channel ideas, suggestions and issues


University Research Data Management Working Group• Cross-Faculty and cross-service

– Started, January 2013

• Timetable

– Jan-Jun 2013 – Gather information on needs and options

– July-Dec 2013 – Identify, scope and implement support as feasible

– Jan 2014 – Review progress and make recommendations for follow-on activity

• Further information will be disseminated via the website


Research data management website


Key webresources

Share goodresources

Eventinformation

Videos

Contactinformation

Guidance

Externalinformationfeeds

? – what wouldyou like to seeadded

Assessing current practice

• Benchmarking current practice helps to inform where to focus support effort

• Using a brief questionnaire (informed by DCC CARDIO tool) to capture input on:

– Data management planning, assessment and skills– Research data storage, preservation and sharing– Policy, strategy development and finance

• Questionnaire road tested in Chemistry

– Aim to refine and use it more extensively over coming months


Research bid submission

• RFO liaising with ICTD and LLI to highlight research bids being developed

– Identify potential need (data and otherwise)– Scope appropriate resourcing in budget– Contribute to quality of the bid

• What other communication could take place at this early stage?

– How can we realise the value of data to be generated and ensure we manage it appropriately?


Data management planning

• History DMP project

– October 2011-March 2012

• Project outputs

– Draft Data Management Planning template document– Case studies of use– Repository enhancements– Linked data investigation

• Plan is available for use across the University

– FHSC adapted this for their use

• DMPOnline version coming soon


Hydra digital repository / Research storage service• Underlying technology supporting data management

• Hydra

– Holds a number of datasets currently– System addresses a number of the EPSRC expectations

• Metadata, publication link to data, manage access

• Contribute to preservation and data curation

• Research Storage Service

– ICTD initiative to provide storage to assist with management of research data during research• Also investigating use of the Cloud

• Data preservation and data curation also addressed here


DIY RDM? We are not alone

• Research data management is happening across HE

– Experience and expertise is growing

• The initiatives underway are:

– Making use of available tools and adapting/exploiting them for Hull

– Taking us down a path that many others are following• We can all learn from each other

• Need to map local needs against available external support, and fill in the gaps locally

– Develop tailored University of Hull RDM supportResearch Data Management @ Hull | 29 January 2013 | 16

Data catalogue

• We cannot store and manage all data

– Too much of it– Not all is worth keeping (curation guidelines?)

• Some can be managed elsewhere

– Disciplinary data centres, national and international

• Keeping a local record of where data is will be key to effectively managing it over time, wherever it is

– Generate a data catalogue– Hydra proposed as local tool to support this– Suggestions of mechanism to build this welcome


Context, context, context…


Research outputs

Digital archives Multimedia

Learning materials

Research data

Research data managementdoes not sit in isolation

It is one type ofdigital content

It is one type ofcontent workflow

There may be similar processes we can adaptThere may be joint developments that serve more than one need

To summarise

• Research data management comprises many parts

• Hence, we need to work together with researchers to mutually support RDM

• There are a number of activities being undertaken

• The current initiatives will help us work toward a mature service platform for research data

– How can you contribute?– What else might we usefully do?


Thank [email protected]

Questions…?

Next steps

What happens next?

• RDM Working Group meetings scheduled monthly

• Website expansion

• Further development of research bid workflows

• Further benchmarking

• …


RDM communication

• How to stay in touch?

– Email– eBridge/SharePoint site– Meetings/events– …

• Aim

– To all understand what each area of support can contribute and get from data management

– Flag up gaps


the institutional perspective on research data management

Technology

data deluge data management

use data management

data management challenges

value of data

data sources

data isnt

funded research data

sole use of data