Research Data Management: developing systems with

researchers needs in mindVimal Shah

Research Information ManagerMiddlesex University

UKSG Conference 2017

Session outline

• Development of research data management systems and support services at two different institutions

• Researcher engagement and analysis of user requirements

• Requirements of other stakeholders such as the university and research funders

10/04/2017 2

3

Two cases

• King’s College London, established in 1829, founding member of the University of London, research-intensive– Started developing systems in-house

• Middlesex University London, granted university status in 1992, a polytechnic since 1973, teaching-intensive– Implementing systems through the JISC Research

Data Shared Service as a pilot institution

10/04/2017

4

COMMON DRIVERS FOR MANAGING RESEARCH DATA

10/04/2017

5

Inherent benefits

10/04/2017

Resources• Avoids duplication of data,

increases efficiencySecurity • Reduces the risk of data loss

Integrity• Enables greater scrutiny of

published research

Collaboration • Facilitates sharing and re-use of

data now and in the future

Impact• Increases visibility of research

data & associated publications, and potential for citation

6

Compliance and risk management

10/04/2017

Funder expectations

Publisher policies

Institutional policies

Research ethics Legislation Contracts,

agreements

Exploitation of IP

7

“…as open as possible, as closed as necessary”

European Commission (2016) Open access & Data management, Horizon

2020

10/04/2017

8

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY ‘RESEARCH DATA’?

10/04/2017

9

Dataset

• Represents a citable resource• One or more files, formats, sizes and content.• Includes documentation• Could be:– digital outputs necessary to substantiate and/or

validate research findings in publications– produced for a specific work package– requiring storage to enable potential future access

post study completion

10/04/2017

10

CASE 1

10/04/2017

11

Requirements analysis: Oct 2014

• “Research data management: a requirements analysis for institutional infrastructure development”– Literature review– Qualitative analysis using MaxQDA of ~45 written

statements from researchers at King’s (data collected by Veronica Howe, RD Manager)

– In-depth interviews with researchers in the Social Sciences

10/04/2017

12

Summary of requirements

• Shared/networked/cloud/local storage and backup

• Access to secure storage and archive• Research computing support• Central data management services:– Database design and maintenance– Statistical data support

10/04/2017

13

Summary of requirements

• Data management planning• Guidance, training, consultancy and advice• Communication of research outputs and

supporting research collaborations

10/04/2017

14

Design and demo: 2015

• In-house development• User stories, data flow diagrams, IT project

governance…• 900TB of storage available from Microsoft• Jul: Product demonstrations and consultation

with the research community• Sep: DataCite membership• Oct: Research data Steering Group approval

10/04/2017

15

Org. changes and launch: 2016

• Jan: Open Research Group formed• Feb: Change in available IT resources • Apr: Testing, fixing, re-testing, re-re-testing…• May: Launch of version 1 – data asset

register, mediated deposit, DOIs, 1TB storage• June: 7 open meetings with a cross-section of

the research community

10/04/2017

16

Summary of feedback: 2016

• Medium term goals:– Improved data storage capacity– Improved data transfer options– Indexing of records on search engines– Integration with the research portal and current

research information system (CRIS)– Preview/approval before data publication– Digital archive and preservation

10/04/2017

17

Summary of feedback: 2016

• Longer term goals– Support change in research culture– More self-service facilities rather than mediated– Life cycle support for RDM, including

management of active/dynamic data– Searching, browsing and comparison of datasets

within user-selected criteria

10/04/2017

18

Summary of feedback: 2016

• Risk management priorities– Backup and recovery– Secure storage for datasets containing

personal/sensitive/highly-restricted data– Sustainability/cost recovery for publishing,

preserving and archiving data– Meeting the requirements of the EPSRC policy

framework on research data

10/04/2017

19

Challenges to keep us busy

• Publishing data openly is problematic for some before article acceptance/publication

• Handling extra large files i.e. 400-900GB• Data management planning is seen as a

chore by some• Metadata requirements – reuse/long term

vs. quick publication• User experience, interfaces, interoperability

10/04/2017

20

Reflection

• Compliance is a process (as opposed to a destination) when it comes to the EPSRC’s policy framework for research data

• Development of services and systems has to go hand in hand with raising awareness and training

• July 2016 began revising the King’s research data management policy, now published

10/04/2017

21

CASE 2

10/04/2017

22

JISC Research Data Shared Service

• Pilot participant – huge opportunity, JISC funding

• ‘Outsourced’ through shared procurement• Implementing a data repository Figshare• Predecessor Jenny Evans ‘accelerated

implementation’ in 10 weeks Sep – Nov 2016 including all key stakeholders!

10/04/2017

23

Building…

• Now adding a preservation solution (Preservica) and carrying forward further implementation tasks for the data repository

• Planning to reconvene project working group and group of researchers piloting

• Trying to bring in other stakeholders from the outset and sharing ideas with other pilots

• ORCID – Open Researcher & Contributor ID

10/04/2017

24

Placing systems in context

10/04/2017

Data management

planning

Training

Outreach and

consultation

Enquiry support

Collaboration and liaison

Digital repositories

Research information

systems

25

Thank you

• Colleagues at King’s College London, JISC, Middlesex University

• Published guidance from the UK Data Archive and the Digital Curation Centre

• Other universities across the UK whose staff have created and published their data management guidance

10/04/2017