Challenges in setting up an

RDM Support Service

Gareth Knight

Manager, LSHTM RDM Support Service

This work is licensed under a

Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 UK:

England & Wales License

Institutional Challenges in the Data Decade

DCC Data Management Roadshow, 20 November 2012

London School of Hygiene &

Tropical Medicine

What is the LSHTM?

A university for research and postgraduate education specialising in public health and tropical

medicine

Constituent college of University of London

A small institution

12 academic departments in 3 faculties

17 research centre

10 research groups

But distributed….

Recognised as one of world’s highest rated universities for collaborative research

4000 students & 1,300 staff working in 100+ countries

Many types of researcher Many types of research data

Source: Primary, secondary

Type: Quantitative, Qualitative

Origin: Paper/web survey, PDA capture, machine generated, etc.

Application:EpiInfo, EpiData, ArcGIS, STATA, FoxPro, OpenClinica, etc.

Sensitivity: Personally identifiable, Anonymised

Research Coverage

Key drivers for data

management and publication

Funding compliance Openness/transparency

Interesting

paper. Where’s

the data?

Enable further research Researcher Demand

Key drivers for data

management and publication

Funding compliance Openness/transparency

Interesting

paper. Where’s

the data?

Enable further research Researcher Demand

Good Research Practice

“Research conducted under LSHTM auspices must be undertaken to the highest standards in accordance with good research practice” “Researchers have specific responsibilities for human research subjects, in particular to ensure their well-being, to retain confidentiality on their involvement and to follow principles in relation to management of data.” http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/research/about/guidelines_

on_good_research_practice.pdf

Research Data Scoping Study

Research Data Working Group •Researcher as (initial) Data Champion

•RDWG setup in Feb 2010

•Membership comprised of research staff, librarians, archivists, and other staff

‘Raising Standards’ Study Recommendations • Develop RDM policies and guidance for researcher use

• Introduce taught course for staff and doctoral training on documentation and meta-data

• Develop portal/gateway for discovery of key data assets;

• Investigate methods for strengthening Archives Service to provide relevant central support and guidance on DM issues, and establish resource implications

Report available: http://blogs.lshtm.ac.uk/rdmss/

outputs/

Recommendations fully accepted by SMT in mid 2011

LSHTM RDM Support Service

Funding:

Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund, 2012-2015

2015 onwards: sustainable service, supported by varying funding

Scope: 1. Establish documentary framework for RDM

2. Develop education & training programme on DM principles and practices, and encourage sharing of good practice

3. Develop institutional systems to catalogue and manage research data produced by School

4. Operate an advisory service for research staff and students

5. Investigate further developments required to support RDM

•RDM Service located in Library & Archives Service

Project Blog http://blogs.lshtm.ac.uk/rdmss/

CHALLENGE 1: ESTABLISHING RESEARCH SUPPORT

NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED

Researcher Needs Funder Obligations

Requirements Gathering

Health Funder Requirements for Data

Management and Sharing

http://researchonline.lshtm.ac.uk/208596/

RDM Web Survey Documentation

http://blogs.lshtm.ac.uk/rdmss/files/2012/10/

WP4-WebSurveyV1.pdf

Web Survey & Face-to-face interviews Current approach for managing research

data Support needs to help you to manage

and share research 117 respondents for web survey

Funder policies & grant expectations Funding contract (in collaboration with P.I.

Researcher challenges

Issues/challenges encountered when creating, managing,

and sharing research data (web survey results)

Other challenges

• Database creation & management

• Storage of physical questionnaires

• Lack of time

• Software instability (particularly

NVivo)

• Ability to enter & access data at

different locations

Response Type

Multiple choice

checkbox + free

text for other

challenges

Training Needs

Interest in training on topics related to data management (web survey results)

Note:

Graph omits percentages for other responses

(None, slight, moderate, no opinion)

CHALLENGE 2: DEVELOPING RESOURCES TO SUPPORT

MANAGEMENT OF RESEARCH DATA

Documentary Framework

I n s t i t u t i o n

D o m a i n / D e p a r t m e n t

P r o j e c t / S t u d y

Oversight Regulatory

Design Management

Conduct Completion

Research Data Management Policy

What is the purpose of an RDM Policy? • Establishes Research Data as an key research output/institutional asset

• Establishes RDM as an key activity for good research practice

Who needs to comply with it? • Employed & honorary staff, research students on projects

• Encourage for collaborators, contractors, and taught students

What type of data does it apply to? • Data types: Primary data, secondary data(encourage)

• Funding source: Public (mandate), private (encourage), contract (exclude)

• Source: Institution-owned Vs. consortium created

Draft RDM Policy http://blogs.lshtm.ac.uk/rdmss/files/2012/11/R

DM-Policy-draft.pdf

Teaching style: Classroom, drop-in surgery sessions

Time allocation: 2-3 hours, 1 day

Material: OERs that can be repurposed by staff

Face-to-face tuition RDM Support website

Education & Training

Topics: Lifecycle stages

Content structure Intro, practice/standards, case studies,

further information

Launch Available July 2013

Transferrable Skills Programme http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/study/applicants/pre-reg_msc_res/researchdegreecourseinformation/

Teaching style: Classroom, drop-in surgery sessions

Time allocation: 2-3 hours, 1 day

Material: OERs that can be repurposed by staff

Face-to-face tuition RDM Support website

Education & Training

Topics: Lifecycle stages

Content structure Intro, practice/standards, case studies,

further information

Launch Available July 2013

Transferrable Skills Programme http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/study/applicants/pre-reg_msc_res/researchdegreecourseinformation/

Challenges

Resourcing: Initial development time Balance between support

activities & infrastructure development

Provision of expertise: Information management Domain-specific

Timing: Teaching schedule Project timetable React to emerging trends

Form: Practical Vs. Theory

Target audience: Research students, early career What about established staff?

Technical Infrastructure

Sensitivity of data

Size of data

Type of analysis to be

performed

Access speed required

Ability to access at site

Access requirements for

collaborators

Data size

Factors contributing to decisions on where to store data

Technical Infrastructure

Sensitivity of data

Size of data

Type of analysis to be

performed

Access speed required

Ability to access at site

Access requirements for

collaborators

Data size

Factors contributing to decisions on where to store data

Strategic approach required:

1. Encourage uptake of existing infrastructure (e.g. Novell iFolder, central store)

2. Enhance existing infrastructure to fulfil research requirements (e.g. Access speed, ISO 27001-2)

3. Address gaps in current service provision (Research Data Repository for ‘homeless’ data, School-level data enclave)

Development & integration of various systems requires cross institution approach

CHALLENGE 3:

ESTABLISHING AN INFRASTRUCTURE TO UNDERPIN THE RDM SUPPORT SERVICE

Service Infrastructure

•Type and level of support required by researchers & students

•Type of support that can be offered using available resources (funds, expertise)

Scale of Service

•No. of roles associated with RDM Support Service

•What areas do the roles cover? (applications, disciplinary, depts)

•Expertise and skillsets required

Roles & responsibilities

•Resourcing staff (recruit vs. re-allocation)

•Training and development requirements – link to career paths

•Physical location of staff (central service, department level, both)

•Maintaining the technical infrastructure

Resourcing Requirements

Potential funding sources

Central funds

Allocated amount of

new funding grants

Collaborative research projects

Service-led development

projects

Percentage / set amount of research

grant to support DM training &

archiving

Collaborate with academic

researchers/other institutions to develop DM

infrastructure

Lead research grants to develop resources for use by School & broader community

Central fund to support staff & students with

teaching, advice & systems

Allocation from Library & Archives budget?

Minimise risk by utilising different funding sources

Summary

1. Determining needs of researchers & research institution • What do they want?

• What do they need in order to meet funder obligations?

2. Determining how needs can be most effectively addressed • What needs can you address using current/future resources?

• Approaches to addressing needs in short-term / on-going development

3. Providing sustainable infrastructure to operate support service • Determining structure of support service

• Funding models to sustain over time

Thank You for your attention!

http://blogs.lshtm.ac.uk/rdmss/

Email: Gareth.knight@lshtm.ac.uk researchdatamanagement@lshtm.ac.uk

Twitter: @gknight2000 @LSHTMrdm

References

Documents • LSHTM Guidelines on Good Research Practice

http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/research/about/guidelines_on_good_research_practice.pdf

• Raising Standards – Lowering Barriers Report http://blogs.lshtm.ac.uk/rdmss/outputs/

• RDM Web Survey Documentation http://blogs.lshtm.ac.uk/rdmss/outputs/

• Health Funder Requirements for Data Management and Sharing http://researchonline.lshtm.ac.uk/208596/

• Research Degree Course Information - Transferrable Skills Programme http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/study/applicants/pre-reg_msc_res/researchdegreecourseinformation/

Third party reports and images • http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/5438844/Scientists-faking-results-and-omitting-

unwanted-findings-in-research.html http://royalsociety.org/policy/projects/science-public-enterprise/report/

• http://www.surf.nl/nl/publicaties/documents/what_researchers_want.pdf • http://www.clker.com/clipart-9367.html