Different ways of looking at research data. Session 1.3 of the RDMRose v3 materials. The JISC funded RDMRose project (June 2012-May 2013) was a collaboration between the libraries of the University of Leeds, Sheffield and York, with the Information School at Sheffield to provide an Open Educational Resource for information professionals on Research Data Management. The materials were revised between November 2014 and February 2015 for the consortium of North West Academic Libraries (NoWAL). http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose

1. Looking at data
May-15
Research Data Management
Workshop 1.3
Learning material produced by RDMRose
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose

2. Session 1.3 overview
• Five ways of looking at research data
• Research data case studies
May-15
Learning material produced by RDMRose
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose

3. Five ways of looking at research data
• The Faculty of Engineering and the
Environment at the University of
Southampton has developed a template of
five ways of looking at research data, and five
case studies of research data
• http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/338816/
May-15
Learning material produced by RDMRose
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose

4. Five ways of looking at research data
1. How research data is collected
2. The forms of research [=forms of data]
3. Electronic storage of the research data
4. Electronic data volumes
5. Data life cycle
May-15
Learning material produced by RDMRose
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose

5. Activity 1: Five ways of looking at
research data
• Carefully study the five ways of looking at
research data on page 1-5
• Is there anything you do not understand?
• You have 10 minutes.
May-15
Learning material produced by RDMRose
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose

6. Activity 2: Research data case studies
• On page 6-22 you will find 5 case studies of
research data in:
– Medical research (human genetics)
– Materials engineering (long crack growth fatigue
testing)
– Aerodynamics (simulations using computational
fluid dynamics)
– Chemistry (crystal structures)
– Archaeology (an excavation)
May-15
Learning material produced by RDMRose
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose

7. Activity 2: Research data case studies
• Look in-depth at one of the case studies.
• Discuss:
– How do the five ways of looking at research data
apply to this research?
– Can you identify any potential research data
management issues?
– How would the Library be able to assist this
research(er)?
• You have 20 minutes.
May-15
Learning material produced by RDMRose
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose

8. REFERENCES
May-15
Learning material produced by RDMRose
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose

9. References
• Scott, M., Boardman, R.P., Reed, P.A.S., & Cox,
S.J. (2012). Introducing research data.
Southampton: University of Southampton,
Faculty of Engineering and the Environment.
Retrieved from
http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/338816/.
May-15
Learning material produced by RDMRose
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose