because good research needs good data

DAF at the JISC MRD w/shop, 1-2 Dec 2011, #jiscmrd

Introduction to DAF

Sarah JonesDigital Curation Centre

sarah.jones@glasgow.ac.ukFunded by:

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 UK: Scotland License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/scotland/ ; or, (b) send a letter to Creative Commons, 543 Howard Street, 5th Floor, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.

because good research needs good data

DAF at the JISC MRD w/shop, 1-2 Dec 2011, #jiscmrd

What is the problem?Do you know:

• what research data you hold?

• where they are being stored / backed up?

• which data need to be (or legally can be) kept?

• who can access & use the data?

If not, how can you manage & share your data?

because good research needs good data

DAF at the JISC MRD w/shop, 1-2 Dec 2011, #jiscmrd

What is DAF?

• A methodology to ‘audit’ data holdings and investigate data management practice

• Created in a 6-month JISC project in 2008

• Four pilot projects also funded by JISC

• The name has changed!

because good research needs good data

DAF at the JISC MRD w/shop, 1-2 Dec 2011, #jiscmrd

Key conclusion for using DAF

Most unis are in the very early stagesInfrastructure for data management is lacking

Emphasis on scoping needs by investigating practice rather than registering data

because good research needs good data

DAF at the JISC MRD w/shop, 1-2 Dec 2011, #jiscmrd

Who to speak to?

• PhD students / Research Assistants

• PIs / Research Group Leaders

• Local IT / research support

• Administrators (locally & research office)

• Service staff

because good research needs good data

DAF at the JISC MRD w/shop, 1-2 Dec 2011, #jiscmrd

How to gather information?

• Desk-research

• Questionnaires

• Interviews

• Focus groups

• Shadowing / observational approach

because good research needs good data

DAF at the JISC MRD w/shop, 1-2 Dec 2011, #jiscmrd

What to ask?

www.data-audit.eu/docs/DAF_Implementation_Guide.pdf

because good research needs good data

DAF at the JISC MRD w/shop, 1-2 Dec 2011, #jiscmrd

Lessons and tips

Frame interviews in terms of DMPs to give a tangible

benefit to researchers – they then know what to write on

the next grant proposal.

=The DCC lifecycle model can be

useful to structure discussion in interviews.

Questionnaires are a good way to identify people for

interview

PhD students are well-placed to help with the survey. They have

a disciplinary understanding, know the researchers and often

help to create & manage the data.

A data champion can help persuade others to get involved

because good research needs good data

DAF at the JISC MRD w/shop, 1-2 Dec 2011, #jiscmrd

Discussion….

What are you hoping to find out about RDM?

Do you have a planned approach?

Have you taken ideas from other work?

What do you want to know about DAF / DCC?