RDMRose 1.6 Research data services

Research data services

Apr 15, 2023 Learning material produced by RDMRose http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose

Research Data Management Workshop 1.6

Session 1.6 overview

• Research data services overview• Professional services involved in RDM• Research administrators• Computing services• Library roles– Embedded roles– Hybrid and third space roles– Job descriptions analysis



Research Data Services

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES INVOLVED IN RDM


Support

• Library• IT services• Research administration office, including

Ethics / research integrity people (if separate from research administration office)

• Staff development office• Academics


RESEARCH ADMINISTRATORS


Apr 15, 2023

Research administration

• Association of Research Managers and Administrators (ARMA), founded 1991– 1600 members by 2011– 75% female– 67% in pre-1992 universities

• RA professionals have diverse backgrounds; few have PhDs – more often new entrants (Shelley, 2010)

• Job titles are various• The growth of the profession arises from competition

for funding Learning material produced by RDMRose

http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose

Apr 15, 2023

Research administration roles• Research administrators “play an

important part in formulating, developing, supporting, monitoring, evaluating and promoting” university research (Hockey & Allen-Collinson, 2009, p. 142)

• Shelley (2010) found increasingly included formerly academics’ roles: blurring of distinction as “third space professionals” (Whitchurch, 2012)

• ARMA (2011) roles– Developing Proposals – Project Lifetime– Translation– Postgraduate Researchers – Policy and Governance – Management Information

and Related Functions– Service Organisation and

Delivery“I am supposed to be a member of the faculty research committee but I am also the clerk” quoted by Shelley (2010, p. 58)

Learning material produced by RDMRose http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose

Apr 15, 2023

Research support roles in RDM (RoaDMaP 2012)

• “Adopting a cradle to grave perspective re RDM.• Pre-award considerations – undertaking research, data

protection• Data Management Plans and the writing of the plans• Assisting PIs to write plans• Asking specific questions i.e. pre-award / referrals to IT• Database curation once research is underway as not yet part of

mentality or part of their research process.• Post award troubleshooting and helping to sort out problems.• Managing teams of research support who look at compliance.”


ARMA & RDM

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COMPUTING SERVICES


Apr 15, 2023

Computing services

• Libraries typically work more closely with computing services than research offices; some services have a degree of convergence

• Naturally the two professions have different, hopefully complementary orientations


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Differing and shared values of the two professions (Creth, 1994)

• Computing professional– Technical orientation– Entrepreneurial

behaviour– Creativity encouraged

• Librarian– Service orientation– Consensus approach– Fiscal responsibility

• Professional orientation• Focus on global information community• Concerned with well being of university


Apr 15, 2023

Cultural attributes of computing and libraries (Favini, 1997)

• “Computing services– Technology is the main driver of services

offered – Change in organizational structure is

frequent – Use of formal project management

techniques is common – Male dominated environment – ACS under a Vice President of IT with an

emphasis on supporting Administration, Staff and Faculty

– Salaries vary greatly throughout the industry – Staff turn-over relatively high – Team oriented focus to accomplish clearly

defines goals – Reward system is flexible, based on short-

term performance – People possessing technical expertise

operate "behind the scenes" – Pace of change is fast ”

• “Libraries– Emphasis on contact with people – Technology used primarily to accomplish service

goals – Roles of organization members well defined and

agreed upon – The major functions of library work do not vary

among institutions – Librarians are products of a shared educational

experience, MLS – Staff turn-over relatively low – Female dominated profession – Organizational power derived by formal job title – Reward system is comparable across the

industry – The acquisition of technology driven by

suppliers of information services rather than home grown innovation

– Library traditionally under the Academic Provost with an emphasis on supporting Students and Faculty”


LIBRARY ROLES


Possible Library RDM roles• Leading on local (institutional) data policy• Bringing data into undergraduate research-based learning, promoting data

information literacy• Teaching data literacy to postgraduate students• Developing researcher data awareness• Providing researcher data advice, e.g. on writing Data Management plans or advice

on RDM within a project • Explaining the impact of sharing data, and how to cite data• Signposting who in the institution should be consulted in relation to a particular

question• Auditing to identify data sets for archiving or RDM needs• Developing and managing access to data collections• Documenting what datasets an institution has• Developing local data curation capacity• Promoting data reuse by making known what is available

Learning material produced by RDMRose http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose Mar-2015

Why librarians might have an important role because of

• Their knowledge of and networks within disciplinary communities; their liaison and negotiation skills

• The strong LIS professional network to copy best practice across institutions

• Their contact with many students and researchers in a way other support services do not

• Their generic knowledge of good information management practices– Understanding that research data management as a form of

Information Literacy

• Their existing data and open access leadership roles• Relevance of collection development practices; their

understanding of metadata Learning material produced by RDMRose http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose Mar-2015

Challenges• We are already over-taxed!

– Other challenges in supporting research (Auckland, 2012)– Getting up-to-speed and keeping up-to-date

• How deep is our understanding of research, especially scientific research and our level of subject knowledge?

• Complexity and scale of issues– Marked disciplinary differences in information practice– Goes wide and deep: to every researcher in our institution

• Translating library practices to research data issues• Will researchers look to libraries for this support? Historic

failure to engage researchers in library services– Computing services, Research support services

• Resources, infrastructure, management structures have to be found Learning material produced by RDMRose

http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose Mar-2015

Areas where libraries can contribute to RDM

• Policy• Teaching appropriate literacies to PIs and

early career researchers, PGR and taught students

• Advisory services on RDM; web sites– Awareness of data for reuse; data citation

practices; copyright and licensing of data

• Signposting• Auditing/ asset review of data sets

researchers have• Data curation capacity, e.g. appraisal and

collection management policy, metadata creation/advice

• Specialist roles in data analysis

• In collaboration with other professional services such as computer services, research office and archives/records management staff

• In collaboration with researchers and research administrators

• In collaboration with other stakeholders, internal and externalInvolving many library teams: liaison team, metadata

specialists, systems team… perhaps embedded roles Learning material produced by RDMRose

http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose Mar-2015

Roles in RDM (See sources section for sources)

Role Alignment with existing library roles Competencies requiredPolicy and advocacyLead on institutional data policy Advocacy role e.g. in the area of

open accessSupport and trainingBring data into undergraduate research-based learning, promoting data information literacy

Information literacy training

Teach data literacy to postgraduate studentsDevelop researcher data awareness

Provide an advice service to researchers (and research administrators), e.g.: Advice on writing Data Management Plans, RDM within a project, licensing data, on data citation and on measurement of impact of data sharing.

Reference and enquiry roles; producing print and web based guides; copyright advice.


Provide advice as above through a web portal

Library web site

Signpost who in the institution should be consulted in relation to a particular question

Role of library as point of enquiry and the reference interview

Promote data reuse by making known what is available internally and externally; explaining data citation

Marketing of library resources

Data asset assessment and repository managementAudit to identify data sets for archiving, create a catalogue of materials or to identify RDM needs

Cataloguing and metadata creation

Develop and manage access to data collections

Collection development, digital library management and metadata management

Develop local data curation capacity

Open access role. Preservation role.


EMBEDDED ROLES


Attributes needed• Corrall et al. (2013) – in order

– Data curation skills– Knowledge of research processes– Technical and ICT skills– Knowledge of research methods– Required subject and/or disciplinary knowledge

• Mindsets– Flexibility– Creativity– Collaboration skills– Change management skills


HYBRID AND THIRD SPACE ROLES


Hybrid roles

• Sheila Corrall (2010) has written about hybrid information workers, mixing skills from 3 areas of specialism– Conduit specialists –

Information technology and media

– Content specialists – Library and Information Science

– Context specialists – Academic and professional disciplines

• Hybrid Conduit/content = digital librarian / e-content specialists

• Hybrid Content/context = data scientists, subject librarians

• Hybrid Conduit/context = learning technologists

Third Space (Whitchurch 2012)

• Neither academic or purely support roles

• Exciting, demanding, creative• Vulnerable to change


JOB DESCRIPTIONS ANALYSIS


Job description analysis

• Content analysis of job adverts in a particular job sector over a specific time period– Job titles– Qualifications– Skill sets needed

• Could be complemented by survey of employers in a sector


Issues with job description analysis

• Job adverts are fishing expeditions• Element of advertising of employer• Only represents types of role being newly

recruited to

• Non-standard terminology• Increasingly fugitive data


Job roles• Is it a data creator, data manager, data scientist or data librarian role? (or none of these?)

• What professional qualifications are required?

• Is this (or could this be) a hybrid or third space role?

• Where does the role sit in the organisation? Is it a project role?

• Is it a techie or managerial role?

• What technical knowledge is required?

• What soft skills and mindset are needed?

• Any further reflections about what might be significant about the role described in this job description?


Images

• Slide 3:– http://

www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/how-guides/how-develop-rdm-services

• Slide 10:– https://

www.arma.ac.uk/professional-development/PDF/explore-the-PDF (with kind permission)


http://www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/how-guides/how-develop-rdm-services



https://www.arma.ac.uk/professional-development/PDF/explore-the-PDF



References• ARMA (2011). A Professional Development Framework for Research

Managers and Administrators. Retrieved from http://www.arma.ac.uk/pdf/index.xhtml

• Corrall, S., Kennan, M.A., & Afzal, W. (2013). Bibliometrics and research data management services: emerging trends in library support for research. Library Trends, 61(3), 636-674.

• Creth, S.D. (1994). Creating a virtual information organization: Collaborative relationships between libraries and computing centers. Journal of Library Administration, 19(3-4), 111-132

• Favini, R. (1997). The Library and Academic Computing Center: Cultural Perspectives and Recommendations for Improved Interaction (ACRL whitepaper). Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/acrl/publications/whitepapers/nashville/favini


http://www.arma.ac.uk/pdf/index.xhtml

http://www.ala.org/acrl/publications/whitepapers/nashville/favini

http://www.ala.org/acrl/publications/whitepapers/nashville/favini

References• Corrall, S. (2010). Educating the academic librarian as a blended

professional: A review and case study. Library Management, 31(8/9), 567-593.

• Hockey, J. & Allen-Collinson, J. (2009). Occupational knowledge and practice amongst UK university research administrators. Higher Education Quarterly, 63(2), 141-159. doi:10.1111/j/1468-2273.2008.00409.x

• RoaDMaP (2012). Breakout 3 Summary – Professional area perspective. Retrieved from http://library.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/file/290/white_rose_rdm_event_breakout_3_summary

• Shelley, L. (2010). Research managers uncovered: Changing roles and “shifting arenas” in the academy. Higher Education Quarterly, 64(1), 41-64. doi:10.1111/j/1468-2273.2009.00429.x

• Whitchurch, C. (2012). Reconstructing Identities in Higher Education: The Rise of Third Space Professionals. London: Routledge.


http://library.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/file/290/white_rose_rdm_event_breakout_3_summary

http://library.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/file/290/white_rose_rdm_event_breakout_3_summary

RDMRose 1.6 Research data services

Data & Analytics

Transcript of RDMRose 1.6 Research data services