Research Data Management – What You Need to Know

part one: introduction

Anne Spalding

08.11.2013

Session outline

• Context for research data management RDM

• Activities exploring research data

• Summary, questions and feedback

Learning outcomes

• Describe the complex and diverse nature of research data in the visual arts

• Discuss the nature of research data in your subject area

• State the importance of your research data

Context for RDM or Why?

• Drivers

• Funders

• Good research practice

What is research data?

• Introduction

• Discussion in groups

• Feedback

Importance of research data, 1

• In pairs write down why research data is important to you

• Then why it could be important to the institution

• And finally the importance to funders

Importance of Research Data, 2

• You – evidence of your research– others could be interested in either re-using it or working collaboratively with you– in the future may also provide a cultural record

• Institution– research data seen as a valuable asset, underpins research– supports external assessment of a department’s activities

• Funders– integral part of the research process– most now have policies which require the research data to be a part of the

research

Definitions of research data, 1

• Write your own definition of research data in the visual or creative arts

Definitions of research data, 2

• “Evidence which is used or created to generate new knowledge and interpretations. ‘Evidence’ may be intersubjective or subjective; physical or emotional; persistent or ephemeral; personal or public; explicit or tacit; and is consciously or unconsciously referenced by the researcher at some point during the course of their research. As part of the research process, research data maybe collated in a structured way to create a dataset to substantiate a particular interpretation analysis or argument. A dataset may or may not lead to a research output, which regardless of method of presentation, is a planned public statement of new knowledge and interpretation.” (Garrett : 2013)

Take home messages

• research data management is a continual process throughout the research

• research data management is good research practice

• definitions for research data can be simple or complicated, use one that works for you

 

Further information

• http://datalib.edina.ac.uk/mantra/• http://www.dcc.ac.uk/• http://www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/curation-lifecycle-model • http://kapturmrd01.eventbrite.co.uk/• http://www.projectcairo.org/• http://www.research.ucreative.ac.uk/1054/• http://www.vads4r.ac.uk/kaptur/• http://www.vads4r.vads.ac.uk/p/welcome.html• http://www.vads4r.vads.ac.uk/p/online-learning.html• http://www.vitae.ac.uk/researchers/428241/Researcher-Development-Framework.htm

l

• http://vocab.bris.ac.uk/data/glossary

Learning outcomes met?

• Describe the complex and diverse nature of research data in the visual arts

• Discuss the nature of research data in your subject area

• State the importance of your research data

Assessment

• One thing you know now that you didn’t know before today– Green post it note

• What more would you like to know– Yellow post it note

Thank you

for listening

and participating

contact details: aspalding2@ucreative.ac.uk