ESRS Data Policy ESDS role in its successful implementation Kristine Doronenkova, kristine.doronenkova@esrc.ac.uk

Overview•Strategic framework

•ESRC data policy

•ESDS role in implementing data policy

•Future considerations

Strategic framework

• ESRC Strategic Plan: to exploit the potential of existing data

sources ... and to provide new ways to disseminate them as

widely as possible ... commitment to provide safe and secure

access not only to all of our data resources but also those

provided by other organisations

• National Data Strategy: to maximise the research potential of

existing data and to create new resources, developing better

access to existing data and facilitating a broad research agenda

• OECD principle: publicly funded research data should be easily

accessible so that they can be often and as widely as possible

Strategic Role of the Research Resources: Strengthening research capacity through data infrastructure and methods

Aim: to create a world class UK social science infrastructure that will underpin the delivery of highest quality social and economic research

Maximise easy and effective access to that infrastructure

Drive forward the development and uptake of leading edge methodological tools and techniques to improve the creation, management and analysis of data resources

Promote the widespread exploitation of the data infrastructure across and beyond the social science community

Develop and promote access to the broader information resources that underpin high quality social science research

Ensure the human resource capacity to utilise the infrastructure

Data access and management is one of our key prioritiesData access and management is one of our key priorities

ESRC Data policy

Central principle: taking a lead in developing a coherent and comprehensive data infrastructure and facilitating access to and use of data

Implementing the policy: ESRC grant-holders are obliged to offer for deposit with the ESDS a copy of any data resulting from ESRC-funded research.

- must be done within 3 months of end of a grant – is monitored by ESRC and ESDS

- not all datasets accepted

Making sure that access for academic research is open and freely available

ESDS is a key element of ERSC Data Policy

• Provides access and support for an extensive range of key economic and social data, both quantitative and qualitative, spanning many disciplines and themes

• Negotiates access to other datasets on behalf of social science community

• Promotes and encourages data usage in teaching and research via a web-based download service, specialist user support, training and workshops and a range of value-added data enhancements

• Acquires, processes, preserves and disseminates a range of data across the social sciences with the four specialist data services:

• ESDS Government

• ESDS International

• ESDS Longitudinal

• ESDS Qualidata

Future considerations

• To refresh and strengthen the ESRC Data

Policy

• To improve existing provision for training in data

management and handling

• Data management plan as a formal

requirement?