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Research data management – an introduction. Slides provided by the DaMaRO Project, University of Oxford. Research Services. What is research data management?. Research data is all the information you make use of in your research Structured data (in databases, tables, etc.)
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Research data management – an introduction Slides provided by the DaMaRO Project, University of Oxford Research Services
What is research data management? • Research data is all the information you make use of in your research • Structured data (in databases, tables, etc.) • Unstructured data (in textual sources, images, audio recordings, personal notes, emails, etc.) • Data management is how you organize, structure, and care for this • Storage, backing up, and data preservation • Preparing material for analysis, or to share with others Research data management – an introduction
Data management basics • Be proactive – start early and think ahead • Take time to look at your existing ways of dealing with information • Do they meet your current needs? • Can you find what you need when you need it? • Are files and data suitably labelled to aid retrieval? • Will they continue to do so for the duration of your research project? • What about after that? What do you need to do to enable further use of the data – by you or by others? Research data management – an introduction
Funding bodies’ requirements • Funders are increasingly requiring researchers to meet certain data management criteria • When applying for funding, you may need to submit a technical or data management plan • You may be asked to make your data available through an archive • SHERPA JULIET provides a useful summary of funding bodies’ policies Research data management – an introduction
Storage and backing up • How are you storing your data for the duration of your project? What’s your back-up plan? • The HFS service offers free back-up to postgraduates and university staff • Do you have access to space on a departmental server? • Synchronization software can help if you work on multiple computers • Dropbox is popular – though others exist Research data management – an introduction
Data management tools • Are you using the best tools for the task in hand? • Don’t struggle on with the wrong software or technique just because it’s what you know • If you’ve ever thought ‘I wish I could…’, maybe someone else has, too – and has written some software to make it possible • Tools exist to do a huge range of jobs – to help organize and analyse information, annotate Web pages, PDFs, or images, and much more • Discover new tools via the Research Skills Toolkit website • You could also ask colleagues for recommendations, or search for online reviews Research data management – a brief introduction
Longer term goals • If you return to your data in a year or two, will it still be intelligible? • Does the format make it clear what everything means? • Are there abbreviations that need explanation? • Is the data adequately documented? • Where did it come from? Who created it? • What changes have been made to it? • Is any additional information needed to place the data in context? • Are there any restrictions on how it can be used? • What’s your long term storage plan? Research data management – a brief introduction
Planning for data sharing and curation • Data sharing is… • Good practice – helps make the most of data • Good for you – improve your citation rate • Now required by most major funders • Preserving and sharing data is much easier if planned for from the beginning of a project • Is the data in an appropriate format? Does it have the relevant documentation and metadata? • Are there confidentiality or IP issues? Research data management – a brief introduction
Depositing your data • Consider depositing data in a repository or archive • A straightforward way of ensuring long-term curation • There are many subject-specific repositories • In the near future, Oxford will launch two new services • DataBank – an institutional digital data archive • DataFinder – a catalogue of datasets • Email ORA@bodleian.ox.ac.uk for information or advice • Bodleian Libraries can also advise on metadata and data standards, and can issue DOIs Research data management – an introduction
Training • The IT Learning Programme offers courses on a wide range of software • Also database design, working with digital images, Web publishing... • The Skills Hub (on WebLearn) details other training opportunities, including training for graduate students • Departments and divisions also offer their own training programmes • Look out for courses specifically on data management Research data management – an introduction
Advice and support • The Oxford Research Data Management website provides guidance and information about services • IT Services’ Research Support team for technical issues • Bodleian Libraries for curation and metadata issues • Ask your subject librarian for discipline-specific help • Departmental IT support teams • IT Services’ NSMS offers paid-for services • The Digital Curation Centre is a national body which can provide advice on sharing and preservation Research data management – an introduction
Finally... • See time spent on data management as an investment • Spend a little time now to save more later • It can be a good task for times when you’re feeling tired and uninspired • But remember that it’s supposed to save time, not occupy it! Research data management – an introduction