Mark Parsons, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Mark A. Parsons and Francine Berman: "The Research Data Alliance: Making Data Work" Panel: Global scientific data infrastructure Research Data Access & Preservation Summit 2013 Baltimore, MD April 4, 2013 #rdap13

1. The Research Data Alliance:
Making Data Work
Mark A. Parsons and Francine Berman
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Research Data Access and Preservation Summit 13
Baltimore, MD
4 April 2013
Unless otherwise noted, the slides in this presentation are licensed by Mark A. Parsons under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License

2. Digital Data has hit
the “Tipping Point” as
a Global Priority
Fran Berman

3. "Data Deluge," Brett Ryder, The Economist, Feb. 2010

4. Diverse snow crystal photos by Kenneth G. Libbrecht
snowcrystals.com

5. All of society’s grand challenges require diverse
(often large) data to to be shared and integrated
across cultures, scales, and technologies.

6. Research Data Alliance
Vision
Researchers around the world sharing and using research data
without barriers.
Purpose
to accelerate international
data-driven innovation and discovery
by facilitating research data
sharing and exchange,
use and re-use,
standards harmonization, and
discoverability.
through the development and adoption of infrastructure, policy,
practice, standards, and other deliverables.

7. Principles
• Openness
• Consensus
• Balance
• Harmonization
• Community Driven
• Non-profit

8. Deliverables that make data work
• Adopted code, policy, infrastructure, standards, or best practices that enable
data to be shared and exchanged
• “Harvestable” efforts for which 12-18 months of work can eliminate a
roadblock for a substantial community
• Efforts that have substantive applicability to “chunks” of the data community,
but may not apply to everyone
• Efforts for which working scientists and researchers can start today while
more long-term or far-reaching solutions are appropriately discussed in other
venues

9. Building Bridges
• Bridges to the future
• data preservation
• Bridges to research partners
• Bridges across disciplines
• Bridges across regions
• Bridges to integration
• to solve new problems
• Bridges across communities
Juan
Bicarregui

14. We need to start thinking about software in a
way more like how we think about building
bridges, dams, and sewers
– Dan Bricklin, Software That Lasts 200 Years

19. Dynamics
of
Infrastructure
Edwards,
et
al.
2007
Understanding
Infrastructure:
Dynamics,
Tensions,
and
Design.
• Infrastructures
become
“ubiquitous,
accessible,
reliable,
and
transparent”
as
they
mature.
• Staged
evolu@on
– “system-­‐building,
characterized
by
the
deliberate
and
successful
design
of
technology-­‐based
services.”
– “technology
transfer
across
domains
and
loca@ons
results
in
varia@ons
on
the
original
design,
as
well
as
the
emergence
of
compe@ng
systems.”
– Finally,
“a
process
of
consolida@on
characterized
by
gateways
that
allow
dissimilar
systems
to
be
linked
into
networks.”

20. Figure from F. Millerand based on
Ecology of Infrastructure S. L. Star & K. Ruhleder (1996)

21. When is infrastructure?

22. When is infrastructure?
Who is infrastructure?

23. Proposal for organizational Framework
RDA
Strategy
and
Leadership:
Council
Responsible
for
overarching
mission,
vision,
sustainability
of
RDA
Organiza@onal
Partners:
Technical
Leadership: Administra@ve
RDA
Membership
Organisa:onal
Advisory
Technical
Advisory
Leadership:
Group
Board
(TAB) Secretariat
(OAG)
Responsible
for
AdministraCon
and
Responsible
for
Technical
Roadmap OperaCons Responsible
for
Process
and
Strategy
Reference
Document
Community
Impact:
Working
Groups
Responsible
for
impacHul,
outcome-­‐oriented
efforts
Government
Group
(Science
Agency
Colloquium)
Appropriate
InternaConal
R&D
Agency
Support
Fran Berman

24. Leadership Model: Positive Deviance
Positive deviance says that if you want to create change, you must
scale it down to the lowest level of granularity and look for people
within the social system who are already manifesting the desired
future state. Take only the arrows that are already pointing toward
the way you want to go, and ignore the others. Identify and
differentiate those people who are headed in the right direction. Give
them visibility and resources. Bring them together. Aggregate them.
Barbara Waugh
Slide courtesy Ted Habermann, NOAA

25. RDA Working Groups Create Enabling Infrastructure
Data
Use,
Sharing
and
Exchange
RDA Working Group
Deliverables
Community
deployment
of
adopted
/
implemented
infrastructure,
tools,
policy,
prac@ce,
standards
facilita@ng
data
sharing
and
exchange
RDA Working Group
Deliverables
Founda@ons
Fran Berman

26. Working and Interest Groups
Working Groups • UPC Code for Data
• PID Information Types • Metadata Publishing Data
• Data Type Registries • Defining Urban Data Exchange for
• Data Foundation and Terminology Science The Engagement Group
(pending) • Marine Data Harmonization
• Practical Policy (pending) • Repository Audit and Certification
• Preservation e-Infrastructure
Interest Groups: • Contextual Metadata
• Legal Interoperability • Community Capability Model
(Joint w/ CODATA) • Big Data Analytics
• The Engagement Group

27. Current Status
Growing the Community Growing the Organization
• ~300 Members • Initial Council and Secretariat
• 15 Interest and Working Groups forming
established with Website, • Task forces to address technical
Forums, Mailing Lists etc. issues and organizational members
• Multiple workshops leading to and affiliates
Launch and first Plenary 18-19 • Sponsorship form US, EC, and
March Australia
• 31 countries, 5 continents (no
S. America)
• >200 participants
• >6,500 tweets on #rdalaunch

28. “T=0” - 18 March 2013: We are here!
Launch from Göteborg!
Be involved:
– Help RDA live up to its aspirations:
• focused effort,
• tangible progress,
• maximum impact
– Work with colleagues to create Working
Groups that will make a difference to the
research community
– Get involved in RDA component groups
– Register and participate at rd-alliance.org
Fran Berman

29. Fran Berman

30. Next Plenary:
16-18 September 2013
National Academy of Sciences
Washington DC
Fran Berman
29

31. Some of the Players • Steering Group
- Fran Berman, US
• Initial Council: - Juan Bicarregui, UK
– John Wood, EU - Leif Laaksonen, EU
– Ross Wilkinson, AU - Beth Plale, US
– Fran Berman, US - Andrew Treloar, AU
- Ross Wilkinson, AU
• Secretariat:
- Peter Wittenburg, EU
– Herman Stehouwers, EU
- John Wood, EU
– Stefanie Kethers, AU
– Mark Parsons, US • Task Groups
- Technical Advisory
• Sponsors Board
– NSF, in-kind support from - Organizational members
NIST and affiliates
– Australian National Data
- Outreach and Comm.
Service
– European Commission - Plenary 2

32. What can RDA do for RDAP and
ASIS&T?
Questions and comments to:
enquiries@rd-alliance.org