Briefing on Research Data Management at LSBU

Stephen GraceScholarly Communications & Repository Manager

Outline1. What is Research Data Management

(RDM)?2. Why the interest and attention on RDM?3. Why bother?4. LSBU policy5. What is involved in RDM?6. What next at LSBU?7. Opportunities and Challenges

WHAT IS RESEARCH DATA MANAGEMENT?

What is RDM?

What is Research Data? the recorded information (regardless of the form or the media in which they may exist) necessary to support or validate a research project’s observations, findings or outputs.

Policy on the Management of Research Data and Records, University of Oxford, 2013

What is RDM?Research Data Management isn't principally about complying with policy - at heart it means helping you to complete your research, share the results, and allow you to get credit for what you have done.

Professor Kevin Schurer, University of Leicester

The culture of research dataThe modern data-rich environment for research and learning and the open culture that is needed to exploit it presents new challenges. These are twofold: creating a setting that will encourage their researchers to adapt their ways of working and developing, and implementing strategies to manage the knowledge that they create… Institutions need to make information and knowledge management part of their organisational strategy.

Science as an Open Enterprise, Royal Society, 2012, p71

INTEREST AND ATTENTION?Why the

Drivers for RDM• Research Integrity• Legislative Change and Regulatory

Compliance• Funders' Data Policies• Research is Global and more ‘Data

Intensive’• Institutional Policy Responses

Whyte, A., Tedds, J. (2011). ‘Making the Case for Research Data Management’. DCC Briefing Papers. Edinburgh: Digital Curation Centre. Available online: http://www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/briefing-papers/making-case-rdm

WHY BOTHER?

Why bother?• Good RDM saves researcher time• Enables new forms of science – data-

intensive research methods across the disciplines

• Enhances reputation of individuals and institutions

• Data are a public good for public benefit, often created with public money

LSBU POLICY ON RDM

1. Research data must be created, maintained and shared in accordance with contractual, legislative, regulatory, ethical and other relevant requirements

2. Rights assigned to research data should not unnecessarily restrict its management, sharing, or use   

3. A Data Management Plan should be produced for all research projects that are creating or capturing data

4. Research data created or captured by researchers must be registered with the University, irrespective of whether it is hosted at the University or elsewhere

5. Research data must be held in a managed storage environment throughout the period of retention

6. Research data created or captured by LSBU researchers should be offered to an appropriate data repository or enclave designated by LSBU or Funder, except in circumstances that would breach IPR, ethical, confidentiality, or other obligations

7. Research data that substantiate research findings should be made available for access and use in a timely manner, within the boundaries of conditions established by contractual, legislative, ethical, or other requirements

8. Research data produced and/or used during research must be cited in research outputs  

9. Management and sharing of research data should be supported through the allocation of research funding, where permitted     

Policy approved by Research Committee on 4 Nov 2015, and adopted by Academic Board on 11 Nov 2015

WHAT IS INVOLVED?

• DCC

WHAT NEXT AT LSBU?

Jan-Jun 2016 timeline• Survey staff on current practice, any

problems and help sought (using CARDIO)

• In-depth case studies (using DAF)• Interviews with Professional Services staff

and senior managers• Results and recommendations to

Research Committee by summer 2016

Opportunities• LSBU Research Data Online – new data

repository launching in early 2016• Help writing Data Management Plans• Training workshops for academics and

research students– Big appetite for open data amongst PhDs!

Challenges• We don’t know what our academics want• There may be reluctance to invest – plenty

of evidence of this elsewhere• Willingness of academics to change their

behaviour: incentives are not linked to reward mechanisms

Questions?Stephen GraceScholarly Communications and Repository Manager

Library and Learning ResourcesTel: +44 (0)20 7815 6634Email: graces5@lsbu.ac.uk Twitter: @StephenGracefulORCiD: 0000-0001-8874-2671