Because good research needs good data The DCC lifecycle model, Exeter Uni, May 2011 Funded by: The Digital Curation Lifecycle Model Joy Davidson and Sarah Jones Digital Curation Centre, Glasgow

Because good research needs good data The DCC lifecycle model, Exeter Uni, May 2011 “the active management and appraisal of data over the lifecycle of scholarly and scientific interest” Data have importance as the evidential base of scholarly conclusions Curation is part of good research practice What is data curation?

Because good research needs good data The DCC lifecycle model, Exeter Uni, May 2011 Why curate: requirements declaration data are a public good and should be openly available Code of good research conduct data should be preserved and accessible for 10 years + Funders’ data policies and-legal/funders-data-policies Common principles on data policy DataPolicy.aspx

Because good research needs good data The DCC lifecycle model, Exeter Uni, May 2011 Why curate: rewards More citations: 69% ↑ (Piwowar, 2007 in PLoS) Prevent data loss New research opportunities and collaborations Easier to do your work… Validation of results

Because good research needs good data The DCC lifecycle model, Exeter Uni, May 2011 DCC curation lifecycle model Activities / phases to cover are: data management planning creating data metadata & documentation selecting what to keep

Because good research needs good data The DCC lifecycle model, Exeter Uni, May 2011 Key questions: what data will you create? how much storage do you need? are there ethical issues that require consent? who can help you develop appropriate plans? n.b. many funders expect data management & sharing plans Conceptualise: planning what to do

Because good research needs good data The DCC lifecycle model, Exeter Uni, May 2011 Guidance: Decisions made now have an impact on every other stage of the lifecycle, so it is worth getting things right from the start! Bear in mind what you (and others) want to do with the data. e.g. if you plan to share, consent & licences should permit this Base plans on support available to you (from colleagues, university, data centres etc) Talk to colleagues and support staff to decide the best approach

Because good research needs good data The DCC lifecycle model, Exeter Uni, May 2011 Data Management and Sharing Plans Funders typically want a short statement covering: What data will be created? (format, types, volume) What standards and methodologies will you use? (incl. metadata) How will you manage ethics and Intellectual Property? What are the plans for data sharing and access? What is the strategy for long-term preservation? DMP guidance: DMP online:

Because good research needs good data The DCC lifecycle model, Exeter Uni, May 2011 Key questions: What formats will you use? How will you create your data? -standards & methodologies to use -file naming and version control -quality control & assurance How will you address ethical concerns to protect participants? Creating / collecting data

Because good research needs good data The DCC lifecycle model, Exeter Uni, May 2011 Guidance Your data could be expensive or impossible to recapture so make sure it’s sustainable. Different formats are good for different things: you might use one for analysis then convert to another for preservation Take time to develop processes at the start – it pays off later! Excellent guidance on creating data & managing ethics in:

Because good research needs good data The DCC lifecycle model, Exeter Uni, May 2011 Key questions: What information do users need to understand the data? - descriptions of all variables / fields and their values - code labels, classification schema, abbreviations list - information about the project and data creators - tips on usage e.g. exceptions, quirks, questionable results How will you capture this? Are there standards you can use? Metadata & documentation

Because good research needs good data The DCC lifecycle model, Exeter Uni, May 2011 Guidance: Create metadata at the time – it’s hard to do later Develop processes so everyone does the same Use standards for interoperability

Because good research needs good data The DCC lifecycle model, Exeter Uni, May 2011 Key questions: What do you have to keep? (published data, of long-term value ) What do you have to destroy? (e.g. personal data) Is it worth keeping the data? – cost/benefits Where will the data be kept? Appraise: select what do you need to keep

Because good research needs good data The DCC lifecycle model, Exeter Uni, May 2011 Guidance: Check funder expectations, licences and consent agreements Consult the library / archive who can help you select data Storage is not the only cost in data management! Check out the DCC How to guide

Because good research needs good data The DCC lifecycle model, Exeter Uni, May 2011 Criteria for appraisal decisions 1.Relevance to mission 2.Scientific, social, cultural, historical value 3.Uniqueness 4.Potential for redistribution 5.Non-replicability 6.Economic case 7.Full documentation

Because good research needs good data The DCC lifecycle model, Exeter Uni, May 2011 Good data management is about making informed decisions

Because good research needs good data The DCC lifecycle model, Exeter Uni, May 2011 Any questions? For DCC guidance, tools and case studies see: Follow us on and #ukdcc