1. Research Data Management at University of
the Arts London
John Murtagh
Library Services Conference - September 2012

2. What is Research Data?
The word “data” means different
things to different people in
different contexts.
Different disciplines have and use
discipline-specific language around
the subject research data.
Some people refer to everything
digital as “data”. Others refer to
both analogue and digital materials
as 'data'.

3. What is Research Data?
Reuse
It can also be created by
researchers for one purpose and
used by another set of researchers
at a later date for a completely
different research agenda.
Example
CCTV footage may be archived (or
destroyed) by a security firm.
However when used by a
researcher to study human
behaviour or 21st century
surveillance methods, the video
footage becomes data for that
researcher

4. What is Research Data?
• Research data is very much about when it is
used as well as what it constitutes and the
purpose for which it is to be used
• Example
A photographic image of an old building is an
archived image. But when used by a
researcher to study the history of a city, the
image becomes data for that researcher

5. Why it should be managed?
The management of research data is
recognised as one of the most pressing
challenges facing the higher education
and research sectors (JISC)
• Research data generated by publicly-
funded research is seen as a public good
and should be available for verification
and re-use (RCUK)
• All UK Research Councils require their
grant holders to manage and retain their
research data for re-use, unless there are
specific and valid reasons not to do so
(RCUK)
• Research data can also be the subject
of requests under Freedom of
Information legislation or Environmental
Information Regulations

6. The KAPTUR Project
DCC Institutional Engagement
KAPTUR will discover, create
and pilot a sectoral model of best
practice in the management of
research data in the visual arts
18 months
Collaborative(Goldsmiths, U
Creative Arts, Glasgow School of
Art)
Ends March 2013
Various Outputs (environmental,
technical, training)

7. Librarians: A skills gap?
 Ability to advise on preserving research outputs
(49% essential in 2-5 years;10% now)
 Knowledge to advise on data management and
curation, including ingest, discovery, access,
Dissemination, preservation, and portability (48%
essential in 2X5 years; 16% now)
 Knowledge to support researchers in
complying with the various mandates of funders,
including open access requirements (40%
essential in 2X5 years; 16% now)
Research Libraries UK (2012) ‘Re-skilling for research: an investigation into the role
and skills of subject and liaison librarians required to effectively support the evolving
information needs of researchers’ http://www.rluk.ac.uk/content/re-skilling-research
Research Information Network (2008) ‘Mind the skills gap: information-handling
training for researchers’, London: RIN

8. A shift?
“Building on existing competencies may only be
part of the picture”. Graham Pryor, DCC
Re-skilling for research - observations on an RLUK report
A shift?
Subject Librarians are entering a world “beyond
information discovery and management,
collection development and information literacy
training, to one in which they play a much
greater part in the research process and in
particular in the management, curation and
preservation of research data”.

9. Further information
Slide 1 photo London Hatwalk by kenjonbro
Slide 2 photo London Hatwalk by kenjonbro • Kaptur Project blog
Slide 3 Banksy photo by nolifebeforecoffee
Slide 4 photo by David Lauder http://www.vads.ac.uk/kaptur/inde
Slide 5 Beau Brummell – London Hatwalk by John
Murtagh
Slide 7 The Librarian by Giuseppe Arcimboldo
• Twitter @UAL_Kaptur
#kaptur_mrd #jisc_mrd
• j.murtagh@arts.ac.uk