Engaging researchers in RDM & Open Data at Edinburgh University

Robin RiceEDINA and Data Library

Information ServicesUniversity of Edinburgh

#RECODE, Riga, Latvia: 1st July, 2014

Overview• UoE RDM Policy regarding open data• Data lifecycle & our RDM Programme• Data Library – supporting re-use of data• Edinburgh DataShare – institutional data

repository• MANTRA – online course about RDM• Benchmark: DCC 2014 UK survey results - RDM

services in place • Challenges in RDM support & open data advocacy• Benchmark: DCC 2014 UK survey results –

Obstacles in supporting RDM

UoE RDM Policy & Open Access to Data

“The University will provide mechanisms and services for storage, backup, registration, deposit and retention of research data assets in support of current and future access, during and after completion of research projects.”

“Any data which is retained elsewhere, for example in an international data service or domain repository should be registered with the University.”

• “Research data of future historical interest, and all research data that represent records of the University, including data that substantiate research findings, will be offered and assessed for deposit and retention in an appropriate national or international data service or domain repository, or a University repository.”

‘A’ Data Lifecycle

Image by Anthony Beitz, Monash University Re-used with permission.

CollaborateConceive Design Experiment Publish ExposeAnalyseDesign

DataManagementPlanning

Expose

National Repository orInstitutional Repository orElectronic Journal orCommunity Portal

Research Data ManagementPlatform

CollaborateExperiment PublishAnalyse

UoE Research Data ManagementRoadmap (2012-2014)

Note: A 2007 Research Computing Survey at UoE showed access to backup and storage was the most pressing need amongst researchers across disciplines.

UoE Data Library Service

• finding…• accessing …• using …• teaching …• managing

ChartsBin and mkandlez on flickr

Data Library experience:

engaging researchers• Supporting secondary

analysis – users’ headaches and barriers

• Data increasingly easier to obtain and to analyse; hence RDM

• Data/statistical literacy capacity building

• More high level requirements (eg visualisation, integration)

‘Data Nerd’ by R Rice

DataShare – open data repository

DataShare experience:

engaging researchers• Woo early adopters;

gather good reputation• Focus on benefits• Keep developing it to

meet more user needs/expectations

• Save the time of depositors BUT

• Keep the end-user in mind (QA)

• Set policies to avoid ‘mission creep’

RETAIN AS IS, by R Rice

From Stuart Lewis, 2013: http://datablog.is.ed.ac.uk/2013/12/06/the-four-quadrants-of-research-data-curation-systems/

DataShare & related UoE RDM services

MANTRA experience: engaging researchers

• Bringing MANTRA into classroom setting

• Disciplinary-specific vs generic RDM training

• Open vs closed: (Inter)national reach vs institutional reach

• Self-assessment vs for-credit course

• Librarians like it (even) more

Benchmark: DCC 2014 UK survey - RDM services in

place

n=87 respondents at 61 institutions incl. 24 Russell Group. Angus Whyte, DCC, http://www.dcc.ac.uk/blog/rdm-

strategy-action-glass-half-full

Challenges in RDM support & advocacy

• Reaching critical mass of students and academics at point of need (timing, priorities, scheduling)

• ‘Turnaround time’ in writing data management plans

• Identifying ‘RDM’ requests at helpdesk; proper routing to expert support

• Costing intensive data services & in-depth support in grants

• Getting balance right for private and open datao Incentivising sharing

• Working ‘upstream’ in research process is hard

DCC 2014 UK survey results

Obstacles to RDM provision (Table 8) % (n=87)

Lack of appropriate staff resources and infrastructure 71%

Availability of funding 64%

Low priority for researchers 56%

Lack of relevant accepted standards 38%

Lack of knowledge of appropriate solutions 36%

Lack of appropriate skills and expertise to implement solutions

34%

Low priority for management 23%

“Pre‐release Briefing 1” [email], 23 April 2014. Angus Whyte, Diana Sisu, DCC.

Thanks to RECODE• Email: R.Rice@ed.ac.uk

• RDM Website: www.ed.ac.uk/is/data-management

• Data Library: www.ed.ac.uk/is/data-library

• Blog: http://datablog.is.ed.ac.uk

• DCC 2014 UK Survey Results: http://www.dcc.ac.uk/blog/rdm-2014-survey