DAF methodology

because good research needs good data

FECYT Recolecta seminars DAF - www.data-audit.eu 17 Nov 2011 #ukdcc

The DAF methodology: addressing institutional data management

Sarah JonesDigital Curation Centre

[email protected] by:

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Outline• Background to DCC

• What is DAF?

• Using DAF

• Case studies



What is the DCC?JISC funded centre specialising in data

management and curation • Develop tools

— DAF, DMP Online, CARDIO

• Offer guidance— Helpdesk, briefing papers, how-to guides

• Run advocacy and training events— data management roadshow, DC101, IDCC

• Support the JISC MRD programmes www.dcc.ac.uk



RDM support for institutionsRDM policy

development

Customised DMP templates

DAF & CARDIO assessments

Guidance and training

Workflow assessment

DCC support

team

Advocacy with senior mgmt Costing




• What is DAF?

• Using DAF

• Case studies



What is DAF?• A methodology to investigate / assess

research data management

• Created in a 6-month JISC project in 2008

• The name has changed!



What is the problem?Do you know:• what research data you hold?• where those data are located?• how they are being stored / backed up?• which data need to be kept?• who can access & use the data?

If not, how can you manage your data?



It started with a recommendation“JISC should develop a Data Audit Framework to enable all universities and colleges to carry out an audit of departmental data collections,

awareness, policies and practice for data curation and preservation”

Liz Lyon, Dealing with Data: Roles, Rights, Responsibilities and Relationships, (2007)

www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/reports/2007/dealingwithdatareportfinal.aspx



The DAF methodology

www.data-audit.eu/docs/DAF_Implementation_Guide.pdf



Testing the method: pilot projects• University of Edinburgh

– physiology, divinity, history, brain imaging, astronomy

• King’s College London– humanities, social science, physical science, engineering, medical

• Imperial College London– Chemical engineering, physics & business school

• University College London– Scandanavian studies, archaeology, physics/astronomy, language and

communication, phonetic sciences, interdisciplinary

www.data-audit.eu/users.html



What we found• Lots of data being created

• Few policies for data creation, storage & management

• Researchers unsure where to begin

• Unaware of available support

• Often no place of deposit or funds for preservation

International Journal of Digital Curationhttp://www.ijdc.net/ijdc/article/view/91/109



Key conclusion for using DAF

Most unis are in the very early stagesInfrastructure is lacking

emphasis on scoping needs



Subsequent usage• DataShare project – Oxford and Southampton

— www.disc-uk.org/docs/DAF-Oxford.pdf — www.disc-uk.org/docs/SouthamptonDAF.pdf

• University of Oregon— www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue64/westra/

• University of Northampton— http://nectar.northampton.ac.uk/2736/

• Various JISC MRD projects…— www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/mrd.aspx




• What is DAF?

• Using DAF

• Case studies



How to gather information?• Desk-research

• policies / guidelines, available services, websites

• Questionnaires

• Interviews

• Focus groups

• Shadowing / observational approach



Questionnaires

Good way to identify people for interview

Useful to get a broad overview of data types,

volumes, storage etc



Interviews

Framing interviews in terms of questions in DMPs will give a tangible benefit to researchers – they then

know what to write on the next grant proposal.

=The DCC lifecyclemodel can be useful

to structure discussionin interviews.



Who to speak to?

• PhD students / Research Assistants

• Principal Investigators (lead researchers)

• Local IT / research support

• Administrators

• Service staff



Implementation tips• Scope the audit carefully

• Timing needs to be appropriate

• Find an advocate in the department

• The process is valuable in itself

Lessons learned: www.data-audit.eu/docs/DAF_lessons_learned.pdf



Useful reading• DAF implementation guide

www.data-audit.eu/docs/DAF_Implementation_Guide.pdf

• DAFD lessons learnedwww.data-audit.eu/docs/ DAF_lessons_learned.pdf

• Jones, Sarah, Ball, Alex & Ekmekcioglu, Çuna, The Data

Audit Framework: a first step in the data management challenge www.ijdc.net/ijdc/article/view/91/109

• DAF website - www.data-audit.eu




• What is DAF?

• Using DAF

• Case studies



University of Oxford

Scoping Digital

Repository Services

EIDCSR(embedding

services)

Sudamih(humanities data mgmt)

Admiral(life science data mgmt)

UKRDSpathfinder



DAF at Oxford1. Briefly explain your area of research / types of research questions

2. Discuss research tasks that involve data management at:a) Funding application e.g. planning data creation / managementb) Data collection e.g. data types, standards, methodsc) Processing of data e.g. annotation, storage, securityd) Publishing e.g. plans, data sharing, deposit

3. Support at local / institutional level for this management of data

4. Challenges when managing data / service requirements

5. Final questions / de-brief

Report at: http://www.disc-uk.org/docs/DAF-Oxford.pdf



University of Northampton

KeepIT(repository

Preservation)

See slides by Miggie Pickton at:www.dcc.ac.uk/events/research-data-management-forum/rdmf7-incentivising-data-management-sharing

RDM policy

DCC support

Training



DAF at NorthamptonData collection in three stages

1. initial interviews with research leaders in each School2. online survey of researchers3. one-to-one interviews with researchers

Topics covered:• types, sizes and formats of research data• data ownership• storage• security • sharing and access (short and long term)• funders’ requirements



Recommendations• Draft & approve a Research Data Policy

• Clarify the Uni position on data ownership

• Promote training sessions and guides to RDM

• Assist researchers with preservation planning

• Disseminate findings, guidance and new policy

Report: http://nectar.northampton.ac.uk/2736/



Thanks

Any questions?

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DAF methodology