Introduction to research data management Scott Summers UK Data Archive Practical research data management 19 April 2016
Context • Data sharing is fast becoming a new paradigm in research across all disciplines, providing benefits to individual researchers, institutions, funders and more • Good research data management habits are essential to creating data that are suitable for sharing • Many funders and academic publishers now specify requirements for data handling, including the formulation of a data management plan
Workshop overview 1. An introduction to research data management and the sharing of data 2. Documenting and describing data 3. Data storage, collaboration, backup, transfer and encryption 4. Demos and practical examples 5. IT Services facilities for handling research data at the University of Essex
UK Data Service • Curator of the largest collection of digital data in the social sciences and humanities in the UK • UK Data Archive (www.data-archive.ac.uk) lead organisation in a network • Based at University of Essex, essentially as department • Extensive experience of supporting researchers and other creators of social science data (and related disciplines) • We manage data sharing for the ESRC (since 1995) • Our best practice approaches to making data shareable are based upon: • challenges faced by researchers to share data • archiving research data – quantitative and qualitative www.ukdataservice.ac.uk
Key definitions • Data management is the organisation, documentation, storage, safeguarding, preservation and accessibility of data. This also includes the ethical and legal aspects of data handling and data ownership • Data sharing is the release of data for use by others (in our context for research)
Why is it important to manage research data well? • Data creation in research is often expensive • Data is the cornerstone of research • Good quality data leads to good quality research • Data underpins published findings • Enables compliance with ethical codes, data protection laws, journal requirements and funder policies • To protect data from loss, destruction and potential exposure
Why share research data? • Data can be re-used in: • new research • collaborative research • new forms of research (such as data mining) • learning and teaching, for example methods training • the maximum use of information from participants • Evidence for published findings (verification, scrutiny and replication) • Meta-analysis, augment sample sizes and develop time-series • Requirement of funder • But : individual researchers are typically reluctant to share their data (no time, no rewards, IP issues, ethical concerns and fear of competition)
Why data management planning? Planning helps researchers consider how data will be managed during the research process and shared afterwards with the wider research community Research benefits: • think what to do with research data, how collect and how look after • keep track of research data (e.g. staff leaving) • identify support, resources and services needed • plan storage, both short and long-term • plan security and ethical aspects • be prepared for data requests (Freedom of Information requests or from the funder)
Research data life cycle Agree data & metadata templates/ organisation Sign off consent form Data sharing protocols Licensing, terms and conditions for sharing, formal documentation Data formats, data migration
Key planning issues • Know your legal, ethical and other obligations towards research participants, colleagues, research funders and institutions • Know your institution’s policies and services: storage and backup strategy, research integrity framework, IPR policy and institutional data repository • Assign roles and responsibilities to relevant parties • Incorporate data management into research cycle • Implement and review management of data during project meetings and review
Research funder data policies (RCUK) • Publicly funded research data are a public good, produced in the public interest, that should be made openly available with as few restrictions as possible in a timely and responsible manner that does not harm intellectual property. • in accordance with relevant standards and community best practice • metadata to make research data discoverable • legal, ethical, commercial constraints on release of research data • recognition for collecting & analysing data; limited privileged use • acknowledge sources of data, intellectual contributions, terms & conditions • use public funds to support the management and sharing of publicly-funded research data Research Councils UK Common Principles on Data Policy (Revised July 2015)
Research funder data policies (RCUK) • peer reviewed research papers published in journals that are compliant with Research Council policy on Open Access • include statement on how the underlying research materials such as data, samples or models can be accessed • for publications submitted for publication from 1 April 2013 Research Councils UK Policy on Open Access (July 2012)
Research funder data policies (RCUK) Research Councils: • Data sharing policy mandating or encouraging data sharing • Data management / sharing planning required • Award holders responsible for managing & sharing data, except EPSRC • Fund data sharing support services and infrastructure e.g. UK Data Service (ESRC) NERC data centres (NERC) MRC Data Support Service (MRC) Atlas Petabyte Storage (STFC) Archaeology Data Service (AHRC)
EPSRC policy framework on research data Research organisations receiving EPSRC funding responsible: • publish metadata online, with DOI (digital object identifier) • maintain data securely for 10 years • institutional roadmap for compliance May 2012 • institutional policy implemented May 2015 • papers to include statements on access to supporting data • expectations follow RCUK principles • influenced by Freedom of Information Act • may in future influence policies of other RCs EPSRC Policy Framework on Research Data
International funder policies • European open access policies: Horizon 2020, European Research Council (ERC) • communication & recommendation on access to / preservation of scientific information (July 2012) (publications & research data) • pilot on open access to research data, primarily data underlying (open access) scientific publications for Horizon 2020 • FAQ open access to publications & data in Horizon 2020 • data management guidelines for Horizon 2020 (~ policies) generally based on OECD Principles and Guidelines for Access to Research Data from Public Funding
Where to share or publish research data • Institutional repository, such as Research Data Essex • Discipline specific repositories and data centres dedicated to archiving, preserving and disseminating discipline specific digital data • Generic repositories: Dryad, figshare, Zenodo,…. • Registries of data repositories (to find suitable repository): • www.datacite.org/repolist/ • re3data • Data journal • Data submissions to journals E.g.: Nature, BMJ
Our managing and sharing data resources • Online: our best practice guidance: ukdataservice.ac.uk/manage- data.aspx • Books: Managing and Sharing Research Data – a Guide to Good Practice, www.uk.sagepub.com/books/9781446267264 (SAGE Publications Ltd) • Helpdesk for all queries: ukdataservice.ac.uk/help/get-in-touch.aspx • Training programme • Past events: https://www.ukdataservice.ac.uk/news-and- events/events/past-events
Other resources • Research Data Management Training MANTRA (Edinburgh) – online learning units • http://datalib.edina.ac.uk/mantra/ • Digital Curation Centre: • Data management training and courses http://www.dcc.ac.uk/training/data-management-courses-and-training • Data management planning http://www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/data-management-plans
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