Neville Prendergast gave this presentation during the "Understanding E-Science: A Symposium for Medical Librarians" on February 13, 2012 in Houston, TX.

1. E-Science – What it is ?
Issues and Challenges for the Library
Neville Prendergast
Matas Library of the Health Sciences
Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA
February 13, 2012
Tulane University

2. E-Science defined
• E-Science
– A type of scientific research that uses large scale
computing infrastructure to process very large datasets
and is enabled by the internet, an advances in data mining
techniques.
• E-Research
– is the concept of research using digital technology
(computing, networks, digital data) in the fields of science,
social science, and the humanities.
Tulane University

3. E-science and E-research
together
Are driving what is called the
Research Life Cycle
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/campaigns/res3/jischelp.aspx
Tulane University

4. Demands of the Research Life Cycle
Data Management
Data Curation
Data Stewardship
Tulane University

5. Data Management
• NSF Data Management Plan
– How will data be collected
– Data access and sharing
– Ethical and privacy issues
– Storage issues
Tulane University

6. Data Curation
• Describes the method(s) for preserving and
curating data
– well managed strategic plan – evolves with technology
• Data Curation Task Force
– Purpose – writing mission vision, goals, vetting policies,
creating procedures and guidelines
– Policies- Collection Development, Metadata Standards,
Format Standards
Tulane University

7. Data Stewardship
• IR – institutional repository(ies)
– Staffing
• Metadata Librarian
• Scholarly Communication Librarian
• Data Curator (IT person)
– Training
• Training university-wide
Tulane University

8. Challenges
• Lack of staff – need to retrain or recruit new appropriate staff
• Lack of awareness
• Identifying key folks
• Lack of Funding
• Lack of interest/time
Tulane University

9. ARL E-Science Institute
the TU experience
Built around 4 Modules:
• Baseline – an institutional self assessment
• Context – interview key stakeholders
• Building Blocks – SWOT analysis, devise potential
services towards a strategic agenda
• Capstone Event – complete strategic agenda
Tulane University

10. Questions are welcome!!!
Time permitting
Suggested readings:
Transforming Research Libraries: E-Science
http://www.arl.org/rtl/eresearch/escien/index.shtml
This section of the Association of Research Libraries web site contains reports, articles and events pertaining to the changing roles and training/skill requirements for
librarians as they plan and implement e-science and research data curation support services.
To Stand the Test of Time: Long-Term Stewardship of Digital Data Sets in Science and Engineering
http://www.arl.org/pp/access/nsfworkshop.shtml
This report to the National Science Foundation from an Association of Research Libraries workshop examines the role of academic libraries in supporting science and
engineering through digital data curation.
MIT Libraries -- Data Management and Publishing Guide
http://libraries.mit.edu/guides/subjects/data-management/index.html
This guide, primarily written for researchers, includes an introduction to research data management, a data planning checklist, guidance on creating a data management
plan.
Research Data Management and Publishing Support at Cornell
https://confluence.cornell.edu/display/datasupp/Home
This wiki site serves as a directory to research data services at Cornell and includes details on data management planning, storage and backup services, metadata,
intellectual property, data publication, and more.
Distributed Data Curation Center: Other Data Repositories
http://d2c2.lib.purdue.edu/OtherRepositories.php
Managed by Purdue University Libraries, the Distributed Data Curation Center lists of more than 50 open data repositories.
MIT Data Management and Publishing: Sharing Your Data
http://libraries.mit.edu/guides/subjects/data-management/publishing.html
The MIT Libraries' subject guide on data management and publishing includes a list of open data repositories.
Data Curation Profiles (DCP)
http://datacurationprofiles.org
A collaboration between the Distributed Data Curation Center of the Purdue University Libraries and the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, this project investigates the practices and attitudes of researchers regarding the data they produce via research.
Tulane University