Facing the data challenge: Developing data policy & services

DCC London, Imperial College, 22 May 2012 #dcc_london

Facing the Research Data Challenge:l

Developing Data Policy and Services

Marieke GuyDigital Curation Centre

[email protected]

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Outline

• Who is responsible for RDM?

• What are the components of a data service?

• Learning lessons from other HEIs

• Developing policies and roadmaps


Who is Responsible for RDM?

Research Organisation

s

Funders

Data centres

Advisory bodies

Support services

Researchers

Publishers


Components of a Research Data Service?

RDM policies

Archive

Preserve

& Share

Advocacy (senior mgmt & researcher)

Storage

Back-up

Access

Support staff & services

Research

environment

& systems

Tools

Metadata and documentation


Data Storage – Bristol Example

Blue Peta at Bristol

• £2m funding to date; further investment planned• Available to all researchers for research data• Petascale facility – expandable• 3 machine rooms – resilience (tape archive 2012)• 1st 5TB free per Data Steward then £400 per TB p.a. for disk storage; tape backup £40 per TB

http://data.bris.ac.uk

http://data.bris.ac.uk/


Archiving – Institutional Data Repositories

Not intended to replace national, subject or other established data

collections

Acknowledge hybrid environment

http://datashare.is.ed.ac.uk

www.dspace.cam.ac.uk/

https://databank.ora.ox.ac.uk

Essex-RDR and DataPool at

Southampton

http://datashare.is.ed.ac.uk/

http://datashare.is.ed.ac.uk/

http://www.dspace.cam.ac.uk/

https://databank.ora.ox.ac.uk/


Archiving – External Data Centres

Research funders’ data centres…

List of repositories & data centres: http://datacite.org/repolist

Structured databases

Disciplinary& community initiatives

http://datacite.org/repolist

http://datacite.org/repolist


Data Registries (metadata)

CERIF for DatasetsDevelop an extension to theresearch information standard

Can we learn lessons from overseas?

http://cerif4datasets.wordpress.com

RADAR: Researching aData Asset Registry

http://radar.blogs.edina.ac.uk

http://cerif4datasets.wordpress.com/

http://radar.blogs.edina.ac.uk/

http://radar.blogs.edina.ac.uk/


Guidance and trainingCollate guidancewww.gla.ac.uk/datamanagement

Online traininghttp://datalib.edina.ac.uk/mantra

and others from JISC RDMTrain

Embed into curriculum via Doctoral Training Centres e.g. Research360@Bathhttp://blogs.bath.ac.uk/research360

http://www.gla.ac.uk/datamanagement

http://www.gla.ac.uk/datamanagement

http://datalib.edina.ac.uk/mantra


Disciplinary Training (RDMTrain)

• The training materials they created are mapped to the lifecycle model below.

• The projects were:• CAIRO – performing arts (Uni of Bristol)• DataTrain- archaeology and social

anthropology (Uni of Cambridge)• DATUM for Health – health sciences

(Northumbria Uni)• DMTpsych – psychology (Uni of York,

Sheffield Unis)• Research Data MANTRA – geosciences,

social sciences (Uni of Edinburgh)


Existing Research Data Policies

www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/policy-and-legal/institutional-data-policies

• University of OxfordStatement of commitment until infrastructure is in place

• University of Edinburgh10 short principles, described as ‘aspirational’

• University of Northamptonbrief policy on RCUK Code, detailing procedures & support

• University of Hertfordshirepart of wider data management policy – guide as appendix

• University of East Londonnewest policy, based on Edinburgh’s


How are Others Developing Policies?

• Towards a RDM policy at ManchesterReviewed existing policies, collated funder requirements, drafted policy for discussion

• Driving institutional data policy at SouthamptonDraft policy and series of user guides put forward for to University Advisory/Executive groups for ratification

www.dcc.ac.uk/news/developing-institutional-data-policies-trend-2012


JISC MRD Leeds Workshop• Programme workshop on institutional research data

management policy development and implementation• Themes/thoughts:

• Institutions are still all at different stages with their research data management policies.

• Having a policy in place without any real buy-in from staff can be more harmful over time .

• Think about if your policy is aspirational or a working document• Policy and infrastructure need to evolve in correlation.• Consider the other policies – both internal and external – with which

your new research data management policy should work in concert.• Retain awareness of the different roles and legislation for research data

and administrative data.• Try to avoid taking the view that researchers will automatically resist

implementation of a research data management policy.

http://bit.ly/jiscwestwood

DCC London, Imperial College, 22 May 2012 #dcc_londonSlide courtesy of Robin Rice, University of Edinburgh


Lots to think about and develop,

so where to start?


Make a plan!

“EPSRC expects all those it funds to have developed a clear roadmap to align their

policies and processes with EPSRC’s expectations by 1st May 2012, and to be fully compliant with these expectations by

1st May 2015.”

www.epsrc.ac.uk/about/standards/researchdata/Pages/impact.aspx


What is a Roadmap?• a plan made up of stages

• a guideline which it is necessary to follow during the entire project

• a visual showing the key streams of activity that a person, team, or organisation needs to complete to achieve set objectives, usually keyed to a specific timeline


Key Elements in EPSRC Requirements

• Ensure published research papers state how and on what terms any supporting research data may be accessed (ii)

• Have policies and processes to maintain effective internal awareness of research data holdings and third-party access requests (iii)

• Publish appropriately structured metadata (normally within 12 months of the data being generated) including DOIs (v)

• Securely preserve research data for a minimum of 10-years from end of embargo or last 3rd party access request (vii)

• Ensure effective data curation throughout the full data lifecycle (viii)

www.epsrc.ac.uk/about/standards/researchdata/Pages/expectations.aspx


What is the EPSRC Looking For?

• Know what you hold – publish metadata- record access requests

• Link publications and data• Share data whenever possible• Curate and preserve valuable data

The same as other funders (i.e good researchpractice) so think broadly when you develop

yourStrategy – where does it fit in?

Institutional

Policy

RDM Strategy(includes

EPSRC Roadmap

)

RDM Strategy(includes

EPSRC Roadmap

)

DMP(departmenta

l)

DMP(departmenta

l)

DMP(project)

DMP(project)

• Institutional policy – This is what the institution is committed to do.

• Strategy/action plan/roadmap – This is the institution’s response to expectations placed on them by research councils etc.

• Guidelines – This is what the institution expect of staff (& services available, and where responsibilities lie).

• Data management plans – This is staff are going to do at a departmental or project level.

Guidelines

Guidelines

RDM Infrastructure


Roles & Responsibilities


Questions?

• Slides from DCC Roadshow Web site


Exercise: Developing a Roadmap for RDM

Think about the potential components of a RDM service

Based on the strengths/weaknesses you identified in the quiz:

• Draft a list of actions needed at your institution

• Attempt to prioritise your list and pencil in timeframes (consider quick wins!)

• Decide who needs to be involved to make this happen?

• Discuss how to make these plans public?

Facing the data challenge: Developing data policy & services

Education

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