Introduction to Research Data Management Digital Curation Centre This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 UK: Scotland License.

What will we cover? Definitions that we work to Why is this an issue now? How have funders responded to this situation? How do institutions support good Research Data Management?

Who we are The (Est. 2004) is: A national-level centre of expertise in digital preservation with a particular focus on Research Data Management (RDM) Working closely with a number of UK institutions to boost RDM capability across the HE sector Also involved in a variety of national and international collaborations

Definitions of research data? “Research data is defined as recorded factual material commonly retained by and accepted in the scientific community as necessary to validate research findings; although the majority of such data is created in digital format, all research data is included irrespective of the format in which it is created.“ “Evidence which is used or created to generate new knowledge and interpretations. ‘Evidence’ may be intersubjective or subjective; physical or emotional; persistent or ephemeral; personal or public; explicit or tacit; and is consciously or unconsciously referenced by the researcher at some point during the course of their research.”

So, what might this include? http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/phod/dac/array_growth.html Instrument measurements Experimental observations Still images, video and audio Text documents, spreadsheets, databases Quantitative data (e.g. survey data) Survey results & interview transcripts Simulation data, models & software Slides, artefacts, specimens, samples Questionnaires Sketches, diaries, lab notebooks … http://www.sbirc.ed.ac.uk/documents/lbc_protocol.pdf Anything & everything produced in the course of research http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/phod/graphics/dacdata/globpop.gif

Data management is part of What is research data management? Plan Create Use Appraise Deposit and Publish Discover and Reuse “an explicit process covering the creation and stewardship of research materials to enable their use for as long as they retain value.” Data management is part of good research practice 6

Why is RDM an issue? Digital technology now used very widely in research, and is enabling new research and scientific paradigms Research funders and publishers know that digital research data can be expensive to produce but inexpensive to share, making reuse more feasible and desirable The challenge is to ensure digital research findings can be reproduced and cited There is a recognition that preservation skills which we have developed over hundreds of years are not sufficient to ensure the longevity of digital research material, which increasingly comprises the majority of the research record.

What if researchers data fell into the wrong hands? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8332445.stm

What if you had to produce a researcher’s data?

What is the worst-case scenario? http://www.computerweekly.com

RDM is integral to research support “The modern data-rich environment for research and learning and the open culture that is needed to exploit it presents new challenges for Universities… creating a setting that will encourage researchers to adapt their ways of working and… implementing strategies to manage the knowledge that they create.” Science as an open enterprise - The Royal Society 2012 p.71

EPSRC expects all those institutions it funds to develop a roadmap that aligns … with EPSRC’s expectations by 1st May 2012; to be fully compliant … by 1st May 2015. http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/about/standards/researchdata/Pages/expectations.aspx

An exercise – funder requirements

RCUK Common Principles in brief Make data openly available where possible Have policies & plans. Preserve data of long-term value Metadata for discovery / reuse. Link to data from publications Be mindful of legal, ethical and commercial constraints Allow limited embargoes to protect the effort of creators Acknowledge sources to recognise IP and abide by T&Cs Ensure cost-effective use of public funds for RDM www.rcuk.ac.uk/research/Pages/DataPolicy.aspx

Ultimately funders expect: Data management plans timely release of data once patents are filed or on (acceptance for) publication open data sharing minimal or no restrictions if possible visibility as minimum preservation of data typically 5-10+ years if of long-term value See the RCUK Common Principles on Data Policy: www.rcuk.ac.uk/research/Pages/DataPolicy.aspx

Components of an RDM service http://www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/how-guides/how-develop-rdm-services