Ten top things researchers need to know about research data management

1. Ten top things researchers need to know about research data management Slides provided by DaMaRO Project, University of Oxford

2. One: It covers more than you might think “A reinterpretable representation of information in a formalized manner suitable for communication, interpretation, or processing.” Digital Curation Centre Slide adapted from the PrePARe Project Ten top things researchers need to know about research data management

3. One: It covers more than you might think Any information you use in your research Slide adapted from the PrePARe Project Ten top things researchers need to know about research data management

4. One: It covers more than you might think • Data management is a general term covering how you organize, structure, store, and care for the information used or generated during a research project • It includes: • How you deal with information on a day-to-day basis over the lifetime of a project • What happens to data in the longer term – what you do with it after the project concludes Ten top things researchers need to know about research data management

5. Two: Data has a much higher profile than it used to have • A paradigm shift in how research outputs are viewed is occurring • Data outputs are of increasing importance • And are likely to become even more so in the future • Major journals are increasingly looking to publish datasets alongside articles • This is your chance to be at the forefront of an important shift in the academic world Ten top things researchers need to know about research data management

6. Three: Oxford now has a policy Introduced July 2012 Ten top things researchers need to know about research data management

7. Three: Oxford now has a policy • Chiefly concerns the information needed to support a research project’s outputs • Researchers are responsible for: • Ensuring data is accurate, complete, identifiable, retrievable, and securely stored • Planning for the ongoing custodianship of their data • Data should be retained for as long as it is of continuing value – but a minimum of three years • Ensuring that legal, ethical, and funding body requirements are met • Policy applies to University staff and doctoral students Ten top things researchers need to know about research data management

8. Four: Funders often have requirements • Funding bodies are taking an increasing interest in what happens to research data • You may be required to make your data publicly available at the end of a project • Check the small print in your grant conditions • Many funders require a data management plan as part of grant applications Ten top things researchers need to know about research data management

9. Five: Planning is indispensable • A data management plan is a document which may be created in the early stages of a project • While planning, applying for funding, or setting up • An initial plan may be expanded later • Details plans and expectations for data • Nature of data and its creation or acquisition • Storage and security • Preservation and sharing Ten top things researchers need to know about research data management

10. Five: Planning is indispensable • The Digital Curation Centre is a national service providing advice and resources • Create a data management plan using the DCC’s DMPonline tool http://www.dcc.ac.uk/ https://dmponline.dcc.ac.uk/ Ten top things researchers need to know about research data management

11. Six: Backing up is easier than replacing lost data DON’T LET THIS BE YOU! http://blogs.ch.cam.ac.uk/pmr/2011/08/01/why-you-need-a-data-management-plan/ Slide adapted from the PrePARe Project Ten top things researchers need to know about research data management

12. Six: Backing up is easier than replacing lost data • Make multiple copies of your work • Keep them in different places • Automate the process if you can • HFS is Oxford’s central back-up and archiving service • Free of charge to University staff and postgraduates Ten top things researchers need to know about research data management

13. Seven: Keeping proper records reduces stress later MAKE SURE YOU CAN UNDERSTAND IT LATER What’s obvious now might not be in a few months, years, decades… Adapted from ‘Clay Tablets with Linear B Script’ by Dennis, via Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/archer10/5692813531/ Slide adapted from the PrePARe Project Ten top things researchers need to know about research data management

14. Seven: Keeping proper records reduces stress later • Documentation and metadata are the contextual information required to make data intelligible and aid interpretation • Helps make conclusions reproducible, and data reusable (by you or by others) • A user’s guide to the data Ten top things researchers need to know about research data management

15. Seven: Keeping proper records reduces stress later • Documentation should cover: • Description of the dataset • Who created it, when, and why • Details of methods • Details of what’s been done to the data • Has it been edited or manipulated? • Definitions of jargon, abbreviations, or codes Ten top things researchers need to know about research data management

16. Eight: Data sharing is a good career move • Data generated during a research project is valuable • Don’t leave it languishing on your hard drive • Consider depositing it in an archive or repository • A number of national disciplinary archives exist • DataBib provides a catalogue: http://databib.org/ • Oxford will soon have its own data archive • If possible, make it available for others to re-use Ten top things researchers need to know about research data management

17. Eight: Data sharing is a good career move • Get credit for another aspect of your research • Get citations for the data– and for associated publications • Reduce duplication of effort • Give your data a life beyond your own research • May be required by funders • Data can be redacted or embargoed if necessary Ten top things researchers need to know about research data management

18. Nine: DataBank and DataFinder • Two new University of Oxford services • Scheduled to launch later in 2013 Ten top things researchers need to know about research data management

19. Nine: DataBank and DataFinder • DataBank will be University of Oxford’s institutional data archive • Long term preservation for datasets without another natural home • Datasets may be publicly available, embargoed for a fixed period, or hidden • DataFinder will be a catalogue of datasets • Will harvest metadata from DataBank and other compatible data stores • Researchers depositing data elsewhere strongly encouraged to add a record to DataFinder Ten top things researchers need to know about research data management

20. Ten: Help and advice are available • Oxford has a central Research Data Management website • University policy is available • Details of funders’ requirements • http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/rdm/ Ten top things researchers need to know about research data management

21. Ten: Help and advice are available • IT Services Research Support Services team can assist with technical aspects of research projects at all stages of the project lifecycle • But the earlier you seek advice, the better • Includes the DaMaRO (Data Management Rollout at Oxford) Project • For more information, emailresearchsupport@it.ox.ac.uk Ten top things researchers need to know about research data management

22. Ten: Help and advice are available • ORDS – Online Research Database Service • Web-based, cloud-hosted database tool for academic research • Designed to make collaboration, publication of databases, and archiving easy • Currently recruiting early adopters –free use of system in return for feedback • Contact ords@it.ox.ac.uk Ten top things researchers need to know about research data management

23. Ten: Help and advice are available • IT Learning Programme • Over 200 different IT courses • Covering software, skills, and new technologies • ITLP Portfolio offers course materials and other resources http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/itlp/ http://portfolio.it.ox.ac.uk/ Ten top things researchers need to know about research data management

24. Ten: Help and advice are available • Research Skills Toolkit • Website and hands-on workshops • Guide to software, University services, and other tools and resources • Requires SSO login http://www.skillstoolkit.ox.ac.uk/ Ten top things researchers need to know about research data management

25. Ten: Help and advice are available • Research Data MANTRA • Free online interactive training modules • Aimed at postgraduates and early career researchers http://datalib.edina.ac.uk/mantra/ Ten top things researchers need to know about research data management

26. Ten: Help and advice are available • Introduction to Research Data Management – a half-day course • Running in Trinity 2013 • Humanities: Wednesday 2nd week • Social Sciences: Wednesday 4th and 7th weeks Ten top things researchers need to know about research data management

27. Any questions? Ask now, or email us ondamaro@oucs.ox.ac.uk Rights and reuse • Slideshow prepared by the DaMaRO Project at the University of Oxford, and made available under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA License. • Parts of this slideshow draw on materials produced by the PrePARe Project, University of Cambridge • Within the terms of the licence, we actively encourage sharing, adaptation, and re-use of this material Ten top things researchers need to know about research data management