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'This looks a bit dodgy' : data usability and maintenance when funding runs out

'This looks a bit dodgy' : data usability and maintenance when funding runs out. Claire Warwick Director, UCLDH. What do we mean by sustainability?. Assumption of scientific model Closed data set, finished, stable Sustainability means Terabytes of storage Dark archiving

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'This looks a bit dodgy' : data usability and maintenance when funding runs out

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  1. 'This looks a bit dodgy' : data usability and maintenance when funding runs out • Claire Warwick • Director, UCLDH

  2. What do we mean by sustainability? • Assumption of scientific model • Closed data set, finished, stable • Sustainability means • Terabytes of storage • Dark archiving • Preservation for later access • Migration to new platform as necessary

  3. The nature of Humanities data • Often small amounts of data • Not a closed resource • Scholarly effort represented by arrangement, linkages, search • Presentation of material vital • Maintenance & updating needed • Usually by someone who understands material

  4. The nature of the problem Example 1 Example 2

  5. Why is this a problem? • Users decide on website in fractions of a second • Reaction is visceral not thought out • ‘That looks a bit dodgy’ • Grown used to look of commercial resources • Don’t trust something that looks ‘wrong’ • Lack of trust leads to non-use • Unless resource already known or absolutely vital

  6. Financial reality • No budget for updating and maintenance • Grants run out, PIs move on, RAs have other work • Funders won’t provide ongoing budget

  7. Implications of this? • If people won’t use ‘dodgy’ resources all money spent is wasted • As well as intellectual effort • Only commercial resources usable long term? • Implications for universities • What about the REF? • What about impact?

  8. Possible solutions • Dedicated funding for updating and maintenance • Without having to promise bells and whistles • Not just for a few outstanding projects • Successful and usable ones • Could be related to end of grant assessments • Universities need to dedicate resource to this • REF may be a driver • Funding bodies need to check this is done

  9. Resource aggregation • Could we use ‘small science’ model • Bring small humanities projects together with common front end • Web services layer • Doesn’t require data to be changed • But that means....

  10. Designing for the long term • Design as well as possible for current users • Follow recommendations on user testing • LAIRAH, JISC Impact toolkit • Don’t just design for yourself and your colleagues • Use open standards • Try to make front end and backend work independently

  11. Documentation • Provide as much documentation as possible • Technical and user orientated • Link it to resource • Imagine someone trying to understand the resource without your help

  12. It can be done! • Example 1 • Example 2

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