Research data management and data sharing: a brief overview of where we are in the UK right now and some main drivers and benefits. Prepared for Salford university Digital Curation Centre training session, 22 May 2014. Contains material from across DCC resources.
2. The DCC
mission “Helping to build capacity,
capability and skills in data
management and curation
across the UK’s higher
education research
community”
Phase 3 Business Plan
www.dcc.ac.uk
3. What is research data management and curation?
Active
management,
adding value
and maintaining
access to
research data
over the course
of its scholarly
lifecycle.
4. What is driving this agenda in the UK?
• Several factors making RDM a key issue for
many UK HEIs
• These factors are international and are
affecting research practice in many countries
(US, Canada, Australia, EU…)
5. Managing research data – some historical
context
declaration
data are a public good
and should be openly
available (2004);
Led to this publication
(2007):
7. Benefits of data sharing (1)
www.nytimes.com/2010/08/13/health/research/
13alzheimer.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
“It was unbelievable. Its not science
the way most of us have practiced in
our careers. But we all realised that
we would never get biomarkers
unless all of us parked our egos and
intellectual property noses outside
the door and agreed that all of our
data would be public immediately.”
Dr John Trojanowski, University of Pennsylvania
... scientific breakthroughs
8. Benefits of data sharing (2)
www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/apr/18/
uncovered-error-george-osborne-austerity
... validation of results
“It was a mistake in a spreadsheet that could have
been easily overlooked: a few rows left out of an
equation to average the values in a column.
The spreadsheet was used to draw the conclusion
of an influential 2010 economics paper: that public
debt of more than 90% of GDP slows down growth.
This conclusion was later cited by the International
Monetary Fund and the UK Treasury to justify
programmes of austerity that have arguably led to
riots, poverty and lost jobs.”
9. Benefits of data sharing (3)
“There is evidence that studies that make their
data available do indeed receive more citations
than similar studies that do not.”
Piwowar H. and Vision T.J 2013 "Data reuse and the open data
citation advantage“ https://peerj.com/preprints/1.pdf
9% - 30% increase
... more citations
10. Data management
planning: can help
guard against data loss
and damage
http://blogs.ch.cam.ac.uk/pm
r/2011/08/01/why-you-need-
a-data-management-plan
Plus direct benefits to individuals
11. Funders’ expectations of public access
“Publicly funded research data are a public good,
produced in the public interest, which should be
made openly available with as few restrictions as
possible in a timely and responsible manner that
does not harm intellectual property.”
RCUK Common Principles on Data Policy (2011)
http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/research/datapolicy/
12. Drivers in UK research
Code of Good Research Conduct
(2009): Data should be preserved
and accessible for 10 years+
RCUK Common Principles on Data Policy (2011):
http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/research/datapolicy/
Which funders are RCUK?
AHRC, BBSRC, ESRC, EPSRC, MRC, NERC, STFC
Priority: making research data available to users.
13. DCC resources: Research funder
data policies summary
www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/policy-and-legal/ overview-funders-data-policies
14. DCC resources: Overview of each
funder’s policy
• Links to data &
publications
policies
• Summary of
main stipulations
• Pointers to
support
www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/
policy-and-legal/funders-
data-policies
15. Generally, funders expect:
• timely release of data
- once patents are filed or on (acceptance for) publication
• open data sharing
- minimal or no restrictions if possible. Any restrictions well-
justified.
• preservation of data
- typically 5-10+ years for data of long-term value
• data management plans
• created, used (and sometimes submitted!)
16. Thanks for listening!
DCC guidance, tools and case studies:
www.dcc.ac.uk/resources
Follow us on twitter:
@digitalcuration and #ukdcc
