Jenny Evans - Creative thinking building research support services and systems at Middlesex

Creative thinking: building

Research Support Services from the ground

up at Middlesex UniversityJenny EvansResearch Information Manager

[email protected]@jennye

© Middlesex University

About Middlesex University

| 2


3 Faculties made up of 6 Schools

| 3

Faculty of ArtsSchool of Art and DesignSchool of Media and Performing Arts

Faculty of Science and TechnologySchool of Science and Technology

Faculty of Professional StudiesBusiness School (and Institute for Work Based Learning)School of Health and EducationSchool of Law

19,000 students in London


Research Facts and FiguresAnnual research grant turnover ~ £5m per annum

~ £21m research projects in progress~ 850 academic staff

~1300 registered research students

REF2014Best modern university in London for research power

REF ranking in total research funding improved 11 places (56th)

Top performing modern university in London for research funding in cash terms

| 4


Library & Student Support

| 5


State of play when I started in June 2014University invested heavily in academic staff for REF2014

Change in scholarly communications environment had led to a recognition that investment was needed

University publications policy working group establishedAppointment of consultant (Jenny Delasalle)

Research Repository (EPrints)0.5 FTE Repository Manager0.2 FTE Repository Assistant

Remit to manage and develop repositories and other software systems, drafting strategy and policies for their operation, provide expert advice and training and ensure compliance with access conditions

| 6


Where to start?

| 7


Priorities

| 8


Existing challengesLack of resource within my teamEPrints hostingLack of understanding by some stakeholders about supporting research

IT infrastructure set up to support ‘students’ and ‘staff’ - very desktop basedCorporate website very ‘student recruitment’ focussed

Implementation of Office365 and move to new data centreVery different research disciplinesNo university-wide Research Committee

| 9


However…I did have:Jenny Delasalle’s interviews with academics and other key stakeholders – and access to her knowledge and experienceProfessor Anne-Wil HarzingWell connected colleagues within LSS who were able to suggest starting pointsCopyright OfficerRepository ManagerInterested senior academics willing to speak to meDraft open access policy document and guidelinesEnthusiasm!

| 10


What to do to get started? By building:

RelationshipsKnowledgeAdvocacyTrainingInfrastructure

…and contributing to the development of a research culture across the University

| 11


Building internal relationships and knowledge

Engaging with people, talking to them, listening and learning from them

Extending my understanding of disciplines after many years working with mathematicians and physicists

Taking advantage of existing forums

Advocacy and training

Drinking lots of coffee!| 12

© Middlesex University | 13


Using my existing external network and extending it and using events to build knowledgeColleagues in related rolesVisiting similar institutionsVolume of information to take on board, assimilate and then disseminate key points internallyEvents focussing on topics such as the REF OA policy really helpfulDigital Curation CentreJiscLondon specific networks – London Area Research Data Group, London Open Access Group

| 14


Open Access publications policy1. Getting buy in from researchers2. Once the policy was approved – advocacy and training

Research CommitteesTargeted training – School, Department or Research AreaOnline guidanceOpen Access corporate website pages

3. Systems developmentChanges to EprintsCRIS?

4. More advocacy and training

| 15


Research data management policy and service

What do we mean by research data?

How is archival data different to active data?

Developing RDM policy alongside Open Access policy – confusion around what research data management means

Many stakeholders involved

Danger of getting stuck in the detail| 16


Building an RDM service

| 17


AchievementsEmbedding of Research Support team across the University

- Increased staffing and recognition of roles- Research Repository RSS Feed to Staff Profiles- Research Repository

improvements to interface, increase in deposits- Discipline specific training- Corporate website web pages for RDM and Open Access- Pilot institution for Jisc Research Data Shared Service project

| 18


Challenges require some creative thinking• Building research culture• Lack of infrastructure• Misconceptions• Balancing compliance (stick) vs ‘good practice'

(carrot)• New Vice-Chancellor - changes to University

Executive• Vacant Research Publications Manager post in

team• Increased success has meant increased workload• Managing expectations

| 19


Next steps…Recruiting Research Publications ManagerCRISEPrints developmentJisc RDSS projectORCiDDataCiteTraining - liaison teams and research studentsMetrics

| 20


Questions?

Jenny EvansResearch Information Manager

Middlesex [email protected]

@jennye

| 21