Research Data Management for librarians

Introductions

Introduce yourself and

your involvement with research data management at

Oxford Brookes so far

Research Data Demystified

What are research data?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JBQS0qKOBU

Video from DCC – first 3.10 minutes

Research lifecycle

Create

Document

Use

Store

Share

Preserve

Creating data: questions

What formats will you use?- determined by the instruments / software you have to use- common, widespread formats to enable reuse

How will you create your data? - What methodologies and standards will you use?- How will you address ethical concerns and protect participants?- Will you control variations to provide quality assurance?- What external data sets will you use? (See the BL Social Science Collection guide to Management and Business studies datasets)

Create

Different formats are good for different things- open, lossless formats are more sustainable e.g. rtf, xml, tif, wav - proprietary and/or compressed formats are less preservable but

are often in widespread use e.g. doc, jpg, mp3

May choose one format for analysis then convert to a standard format for preservation / sharing

Excellent guidance on creating data & managing ethics in:www.data-archive.ac.uk/media/2894/managingsharing.pdf

Creating data: advice

Create

Documenting data: questions

What information do users need to understand the data?- descriptions of all variables / fields and their values - code labels, classification schema, abbreviations list- information about the project and data creators- tips on usage e.g. exceptions, quirks, questionable results

How will you capture this?

Are there standards you can use?

DocumentCreate

• How will you move data around?

• What about the security of data?

• Is there an appropriate RDM system in place

Using data: questions

UseDocumentCreate

• Restrict access to those who need to read/edit data

• Consider the data security implications or where you store data and from which devices you access files

• Choose appropriate methods to transfer / share data• filestores & encrypted media rather than email & Dropbox

Using data: advice

UseDocumentCreate

Storing data: questions

What is available to you?

What facilities do you need?- remote access- file sharing with colleagues- high-levels of security

How will the data be backed up?

StoreUseDocumentCreate

Storing data: advice

Remember that all storage is fallible – need to back-up- keep 2+ copies on different types of media in different locations- manage back-ups (migrate media, test integrity)

Choose appropriate methods to transfer / share data- email, dropbox, ftp, encrypted media, filestore, VREs...

StoreUseDocumentCreate

Sharing data: questions

A Panda and Bear story about datasharing – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVZbk3GEVSwDoes your funder expect you to share data?

Which data can be shared?

How will you share your data?

What do you get from sharing?- citations, recognition...

StoreUseDocumentCreate Share

Reasons to share dataBENEFITS Avoid duplication Scientific integrity More collaboration Better research More reuse & value Increased citation

9-30% increase depending on e.g. discipline (Piwowar et al, 2007, 2013)

DRIVERS Public expectations Government agenda Content mining

― http://www.jisc.ac.uk/news/stories/2012/03/textmining.aspx

RCUK Data Policy― www.rcuk.ac.uk/research/Pages/Data

Policy.aspx

Oxford Brookes Policy

Sharing data: advice

Where possible, make your data available via repositories, data centres

and structured databases

http://datacite.org/repolist http://databib.org/

RADAR: https://radar.brookes.ac.uk/

StoreUseDocumentCreate Share

Preserving data: questions

Are you required to preserve (or destroy) your data?

How will you select what to keep?

Is there somewhere you can archive your data?

How can you support the reuse of your data?

StoreUseDocumentCreate Share Preserve

Preserving data: advice

How to select and appraise research data:www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/how-guides/appraise-select-research-data

How to licence research datawww.dcc.ac.uk/resources/how-guides/license-research-data

How to cite datasets and link to publicationswww.dcc.ac.uk/resources/how-guides/cite-datasets

StoreUseDocumentCreate Share Preserve

Research Data Management

at Oxford Brookes

Sarah Taylor, Research Support Manager, RBDO

Where did we start?

Traditionally have had a very devolved set-up

Schools (as was) largely responsible for own data storage – some central provision but no consistency

Some subjects more experience in this area than others

Issues around hardcopy data and digital data – and the move from one to the other

Have a wide range of data – samples, artefacts, datasets, models, questionnaires, artworks etc etc

Why did we start?

(failed) JISC bid

Support from DCC

Centralisation of IT provision – establishment of OBIS

New Faculty structure with focus moved to subject disciplines (lots of Departments)

Central support functions all in Directorates

Acknowledgement of weakness in support in this area

What did we do?

Set up Steering Group (chaired by Pro VC, Research and Knowledge Exchange).

Agreed Research Data Management Policy in February 2013

Set up audit process – 2 Faculties already audited, remaining 2 being completed by May 2013 – which Rowena is going to talk about

Trying to work across support areas: RBDO, Learning Resources, OBIS

Set up webpages with ‘stuff’ – revising over summer 2013 Trying to use existing solutions – linking with Oxford JISC

projects (DataStage, DataFlow etc; Neurohub) Working with DCC on how to develop, pitfalls to avoid, kick-

off meetings for each of the audit processes

The business end.… What now?

Steering Group still meeting Research Data Management Policy supported by an

operational document Academic staff taking up instances of Neurohub at

Oxford Brookes Working with DCC on DMP Online for Oxford Brookes

– just about to test this with two researchers at Brookes who have received RCUK funding

Significant impact in terms of awareness-raising (not so sure on practice changing – but noises being made)

What about resources?

So far, no additional resource Audits done within existing workloads Policy developments, meetings with other

stakeholders done within existing workload Real willingness to see how what we already have

can be developed to provide better support Bought Converis – our CRIS system. Will use this or

our Repository to flag where completed research data sits

Will use our Repository to hold completed data if not held in national/international repository

Future scenario

Until December 2014, or later, no idea on money available for central support ie QR

Need Faculties to flag up needs in Strategic Planning round, to influence if money can be allocated for support in Directorates

Using and developing existing expertise (IT Business Partners; Subject Librarians; Research Managers; RBDO)

Will the technology save us?

Data Audit Framework – the story so far

October 2011 DCC consultancy starts

Faculty of Health and Life Sciences - ran a pilot for Digital Audit Framework (DAF)

January 2012 - DCC conducted introductory workshop – research staff, research support staff , librarians, OBIS business partners

March– June 2012 - 30 research active staff interviewed – different roles, different departments

Structured interview – results recorded on a google form – to investigate current research data management practice

Results – report

The PILOT Audit - How did we do it?

Team of interviewers – research support staff in faculty, Sarah Taylor from RBDO, RR, and 1 other.

• Associate Dean RKT gave us names of staff to be interviewed which were distributed amongst interviewers.

• Pre meeting with interviewers then left to setup meeting with researcher

• Once fixed a date – send out pre-interview information just to prepare them for the sort of questions we were going to ask

Structured interview – results recorded on a google form – to investigate current research data management practice

Results – report

Preparation

The Results

• Structured interview – recorded within Google form, Usually conducted in researcher’s office

The Interview

• Google can be exported to excel• Aim to genuinely help researchers

What do you see as the top 3 priorities for services that could help you benefit from more effective data management?

Policy / Guidelines on research data management? 38%

Training? 38%

Storage, backup and access services? 85%

Preservation, archiving and sharing 69%

Other 4%Note: People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may add up to more than 100%.

Where are we now?

September – December 2012 – Faculty of Technology, Design and the Environment Introductory meeting facilitated by DCC for research staff and support staff. Invited subject librarians to come alongand get involved in interviewing4 subject librarians became interviewers, 2 OBIS, 2 from Faculty Research Support, Sarah and myself28 interviews conducted

January- June 2013 Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Faculty of BusinessIntroductory meeting facilitated by DCC7 subject librarians

Thanks to all who have helped with interviews

What Next?

Data Audit FrameworkConsider output from interviews – July – Help needed

Ongoing involvement

Research Data Management Policy – what does it say?

RADAR – a place to signpost and store and make openly available research data

Communication – web pages – work with RBDO, DMP onlinehttp://www.brookes.ac.uk/res/support/staff/managing_data/index_html

Collaborating with OBIS – data storage and backup , Oxford University, DCC, - DMP online

Subject Librarians – a role for you?

Data Management Planning

Data Management Planning

DMPs are written at the start of a project to define:

What data will be collected or created?

How the data will be documented and described?

Where the data will be stored?

Who will be responsible for data security and backup?

Which data will be shared and/or preserved?

How the data will be shared and with whom?

Why develop a DMP?

DMPs are often submitted with grant applications, but are useful whenever researchers are creating data.

They can help researchers to: Make informed decisions to anticipate & avoid problems

Avoid duplication, data loss and security breaches

Develop procedures early on for consistency

Ensure data are accurate, complete, reliable and secure

Which funders require a DMP?

www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/policy-and-legal/ overview-funders-data-policies

What do research funders want?

A brief plan submitted in grant applications, and in the case of NERC, a more detailed plan once funded

1-3 sides of A4 as attachment or a section in Je-S form

Typically a prose statement covering suggested themes

Outline data management and sharing plans, justifying decisions and any limitations

Five common themes / questions Description of data to be collected / created

(i.e. content, type, format, volume...)

Standards / methodologies for data collection & management

Ethics and Intellectual Property(highlight any restrictions on data sharing e.g. embargoes, confidentiality)

Plans for data sharing and access (i.e. how, when, to whom)

Strategy for long-term preservation

A useful framework to get started

Think about why the questions are

being asked

Look at examples to get an idea of what to include

www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/content/datamanagement/dmp/framework.html

Help from the DCC

https://dmponline.dcc.ac.uk

www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/how-guides/develop-data-plan

How DMPonline works

Create a plan based on relevant funder /

institutional templates...

...and then answer the questions using the guidance provided

Demo of DMPonline at OB

Exercise: DMP checklistImagine that you have been called in by a researcher for a meeting about writing a DMP. Go through DCC’s Data Management Plan checklist

What are the five things your researcher is going to have most difficulty with? Explain why you choose each item.

Tips to share: writing DMPs Keep it simple, short and specific

Seek advice - consult and collaborate

Base plans on available skills and support

Make sure implementation is feasible

Justify any resources or restrictions needed

Also see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OJtiA53-Fk

Supporting researchers with DMPs

Various types of support could be provided by libraries:

Guidelines and templates on what to include in plans

Example answers, guidance and links to local support

A library of successful DMPs to reuse

Training courses and guidance websites

Tailored consultancy services

Online tools (e.g. customised DMPonline)

Roles and Activities

Possible Library RDM roles Leading on local (institutional) data policy Bringing data into undergraduate research-based learning Teaching data literacy to postgraduate students Developing researcher data awareness Providing advice, e.g. on writing DMPs or advice on RDM within a project Explaining the impact of sharing data, and how to cite data Signposting who in the University to consult in relation to a particular

question Auditing to identify data sets for archiving or RDM needs Developing and managing access to data collections Documenting what datasets an institution has Developing local data curation capacity Promoting data reuse by making known what is available

RDMRose Lite

Learning material produced by RDMRose http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose

Activity 1.3.1 Potential RDM roles for LIS professionals

What could you do tomorrow? Which roles fit best with how you work now /

existing professional practices? Which roles might the library wish to avoid taking

on?

Sep-2012

Why should libraries support RDM?

RDM requires the input of all support services, but libraries are taking the lead in the UK – why?

― existing data and open access leadership roles

― often run publication repositories

― have good relationships with researchers

― proven liaison and negotiation skills

― knowledge of information management, metadata etc

― highly relevant skill set

How are libraries engaging in RDM?

Library

IT

ResearchOffice

The library is leading on most DCC institutional engagements.

They are involved in: defining the institutional strategy developing RDM policy delivering training courses helping researchers to write DMPs advising on data sharing and citation setting up data repositories ...

www.dcc.ac.uk/community/institutional-engagements

An exciting opportunity

Leadership Providing tools and support Advocacy and training Developing data informatics capacity & capability

“Researchers need help to manage their data. This is a really exciting opportunity for libraries….”

Liz Lyon, VALA 2012

Exercise: skills to support RDM Based on the activities we discussed earlier, consider who

may have relevant skills or expertise to share.

You have 15 minutesActivity Library IT Services

(OBIS)Research Support Other

Copyright

Data citation

Information literacyData storage

Digital preservationMetadata

Summary

Feedback

Has the event met your expectations?― If not, what would you have liked to see more / less of?

Was the content useful?

Did you like the mix of exercises?

AcknowledgementIdeas and content have been taken from various courses:

― Skills matrix, ADMIRe project, University of Nottinghamhttp://admire.jiscinvolve.org/wp/2012/09/18/rdmnottingham-training-event

― DIY Training Kit for Librarians, University of Edinburghhttp://datalib.edina.ac.uk/mantra/libtraining.html

― Managing your research data, Research360, University of Bathhttp://opus.bath.ac.uk/32296

― RDMRose Lite, University of Sheffieldhttp://rdmrose.group.shef.ac.uk/?page_id=364

― RoaDMaP training materials, University of Leedshttp://library.leeds.ac.uk/roadmap-project-outputs

― SupportDM modules, University of East Londonhttp://www.uel.ac.uk/trad/outputs/resources