Presentation on the challenges that an academic institution must address when establishing an RDM Support Service

1. Challenges in setting up an
RDM Support Service
Gareth Knight
Manager, LSHTM RDM Support Service
Institutional Challenges in the Data Decade
DCC Data Management Roadshow, 20 November 2012
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 UK:
England & Wales License

2. London School of Hygiene &
Tropical Medicine
What is the LSHTM?
A university for research and postgraduate
education specialising in public health and tropical
medicine
Constituent college of University of London
A small institution
12 academic departments in 3 faculties
17 research centre
10 research groups
But distributed….
Recognised as one of world’s highest rated
universities for collaborative research
4000 students & 1,300 staff working in 100+
countries

3. Research Coverage
Many types of researcher Many types of research data
 Source: Primary, secondary
 Type: Quantitative, Qualitative
 Origin: Paper/web survey, PDA
capture, machine
generated, etc.
 Application:EpiInfo, EpiData, ArcGIS,
STATA, FoxPro,
OpenClinica, etc.
 Sensitivity: Personally identifiable,
Anonymised

4. Key drivers for data
management and publication
Funding compliance Openness/transparency
Interesting
paper. Where’s
the data?
Researcher Demand Enable further research

5. Key drivers for data
management and publication
Funding compliance Openness/transparency
Good Research Practice
“Research conducted under LSHTM
auspices must be undertaken to the
highest standards in accordance with
good research practice”
“Researchers have specific
responsibilities for human research
Interesting
paper. Where’s in particular to ensure their
subjects,
well-being, to retain confidentiality on
the data?
their involvement and to follow
principles in relation to management of
data.”
http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/research/about/guidelines_
on_good_research_practice.pdf
Researcher Demand Enable further research

6. Research Data Scoping Study
Research Data Working Group
•Researcher as (initial) Data Champion
•RDWG setup in Feb 2010
•Membership comprised of research staff, librarians,
archivists, and other staff
‘Raising Standards’ Study Recommendations
• Develop RDM policies and guidance for researcher use
• Introduce taught course for staff and doctoral training on
documentation and meta-data
• Develop portal/gateway for discovery of key data assets;
Report available:
• Investigate methods for strengthening Archives Service to http://blogs.lshtm.ac.uk/rdmss/
outputs/
provide relevant central support and guidance on DM
issues, and establish resource implications
Recommendations fully accepted by SMT in mid 2011

7. LSHTM RDM Support Service
Funding:
Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund,
2012-2015
2015 onwards: sustainable service, supported by
varying funding
Scope:
1. Establish documentary framework for RDM
2. Develop education & training programme on DM principles
and practices, and encourage sharing of good practice
3. Develop institutional systems to catalogue and manage
research data produced by School Project Blog
4. Operate an advisory service for research staff and students http://blogs.lshtm.ac.uk/rdmss/
5. Investigate further developments required to support RDM
•RDM Service located in Library & Archives Service

8. CHALLENGE 1:
ESTABLISHING RESEARCH SUPPORT
NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED

9. Requirements Gathering
Researcher Needs Funder Obligations
Web Survey & Face-to-face interviews
 Current approach for managing research
data
 Support needs to help you to manage  Funder policies & grant expectations
and share research  Funding contract (in collaboration with P.I.
 117 respondents for web survey
RDM Web Survey Documentation Health Funder Requirements for Data
http://blogs.lshtm.ac.uk/rdmss/files/2012/10/ Management and Sharing
WP4-WebSurveyV1.pdf http://researchonline.lshtm.ac.uk/208596/

10. Researcher challenges
Issues/challenges encountered when creating, managing,
and sharing research data (web survey results)
Other challenges
• Database creation & management
• Storage of physical questionnaires
Response Type
• Lack of time
Multiple choice • Software instability (particularly
checkbox + free NVivo)
text for other • Ability to enter & access data at
challenges different locations

11. Training Needs
Interest in training on topics related to data management (web survey results)
Note:
Graph omits percentages for other responses
(None, slight, moderate, no opinion)

12. CHALLENGE 2:
DEVELOPING RESOURCES TO SUPPORT
MANAGEMENT OF RESEARCH DATA

13. Documentary Framework
Institution
Domain/Department
Oversight
Regulatory
Design
Management
Conduct
Completion
Project/Study

14. Research Data Management Policy
What is the purpose of an RDM Policy?
• Establishes Research Data as an key research output/institutional asset
• Establishes RDM as an key activity for good research practice
Who needs to comply with it?
• Employed & honorary staff, research students on projects
• Encourage for collaborators, contractors, and taught students
What type of data does it apply to?
• Data types: Primary data, secondary data(encourage)
• Funding source: Public (mandate), private (encourage),
contract (exclude)
• Source: Institution-owned Vs. consortium created
Draft RDM Policy
http://blogs.lshtm.ac.uk/rdmss/files/2012/11/R
DM-Policy-draft.pdf

15. Education & Training
Face-to-face tuition RDM Support website
Teaching style: Topics:
Classroom, drop-in surgery sessions Lifecycle stages
Content structure
Time allocation:
Intro, practice/standards, case studies,
2-3 hours, 1 day
further information
Material: Launch
OERs that can be repurposed by staff Available July 2013
Transferrable Skills Programme
http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/study/applicants/pre-reg_msc_res/researchdegreecourseinformation/

16. Education & Training
Challenges
Face-to-face tuition
Resourcing: RDM Support website
Initial development time
Balance between support
activities & infrastructure
development
Provision of expertise:
Information management
Domain-specific
Timing:
Teaching schedule
Project timetable
Teaching style: React to emerging trends Topics:
Classroom, drop-in surgery sessions Lifecycle stages
Form:
Time allocation: Practical Vs. Theory Content structure
Intro, practice/standards, case studies,
2-3 hours, 1 day Target audience:
further information
Material: Research students, early career Launch
What about established staff?
OERs that can be repurposed by staff Available July 2013
Transferrable Skills Programme
http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/study/applicants/pre-reg_msc_res/researchdegreecourseinformation/

17. Technical Infrastructure
Sensitivity of
data
Data size
Access
requirements for Size of data
collaborators
Type of
Ability to
analysis to be
access at site
performed
Access speed
required
Factors contributing to decisions on where to store data

18. Technical Infrastructure
Sensitivity of
data
Data size
Access
requirements for Strategic approach required:
Size of data
collaborators
1. Encourage uptake of existing
infrastructure
Type of
(e.g. Novell iFolder, central store)
Ability to
analysis to be
access at site
2. performed
Enhance existing infrastructure to fulfil
research requirements
Access speed
required
(e.g. Access speed, ISO 27001-2)
3. Address gaps in current service provision
(Research Data Repository for ‘homeless’
Factors contributing to decisionsdata,where to store data
on School-level data enclave)
Development & integration of various
systems requires cross institution approach

19. CHALLENGE 3:
ESTABLISHING AN INFRASTRUCTURE
TO UNDERPIN THE RDM SUPPORT SERVICE

20. Service Infrastructure
• Type and level of support required by researchers & students
Scale of Service • Type of support that can be offered using available resources
(funds, expertise)
Roles & • No. of roles associated with RDM Support Service
• What areas do the roles cover? (applications, disciplinary, depts)
responsibilities • Expertise and skillsets required
• Resourcing staff (recruit vs. re-allocation)
Resourcing • Training and development requirements – link to career paths
Requirements • Physical location of staff (central service, department level, both)
• Maintaining the technical infrastructure

21. Potential funding sources
Central fund to support Percentage / set
staff & students with amount of research
teaching, advice & grant to support
systems DM training &
Allocation from Library archiving
& Archives budget? Allocated
amount of
Central funds
new funding
grants
Service-led Collaborative
development research
projects projects Collaborate with
Lead research grants academic
to develop resources researchers/other
for use by School & institutions to
broader community develop DM
infrastructure
Minimise risk by utilising different funding sources

22. Summary
1. Determining needs of researchers & research institution
• What do they want?
• What do they need in order to meet funder obligations?
2. Determining how needs can be most effectively addressed
• What needs can you address using current/future resources?
• Approaches to addressing needs in short-term / on-going development
3. Providing sustainable infrastructure to operate support service
• Determining structure of support service
• Funding models to sustain over time

23. Thank You for your attention!
http://blogs.lshtm.ac.uk/rdmss/
Email: Gareth.knight@lshtm.ac.uk researchdatamanagement@lshtm.ac.uk
Twitter: @gknight2000 @LSHTMrdm

24. References
Documents
• LSHTM Guidelines on Good Research Practice
http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/research/about/guidelines_on_good_research_practice.pdf
• Raising Standards – Lowering Barriers Report
http://blogs.lshtm.ac.uk/rdmss/outputs/
• RDM Web Survey Documentation
http://blogs.lshtm.ac.uk/rdmss/outputs/
• Health Funder Requirements for Data Management and Sharing
http://researchonline.lshtm.ac.uk/208596/
• Research Degree Course Information - Transferrable Skills Programme
http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/study/applicants/pre-reg_msc_res/researchdegreecourseinformation/
Third party reports and images
• http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/5438844/Scientists-faking-results-and-omitting-
unwanted-findings-in-research.html
http://royalsociety.org/policy/projects/science-public-enterprise/report/
• http://www.surf.nl/nl/publicaties/documents/what_researchers_want.pdf
• http://www.clker.com/clipart-9367.html