This slideshow was used in an Introduction to Research Data Management course taught for the Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Division, University of Oxford, on 2015-02-09. It provides an overview of some key issues, looking at both day-to-day data management, and longer term issues, including sharing, and curation.
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Introduction to Research Data Management - 2015-02-09 - MPLS Division, University of Oxford
1. Introduction to Research Data
Management
Slides provided by the Research Support
Team, IT Services, University of Oxford
2. What is data?
“A reinterpretable representation of information in a formalized
manner suitable for communication, interpretation, or processing.”
Digital Curation Centre
Introduction to research
data management
Slide adapted from
the PrePARe Project
3. What is data?
Any information you use in your
research
Introduction to research
data management
Slide adapted from
the PrePARe Project
4. What is research data management?
Storage
Organizing
Preservation
Documenting
Sharing
Choosing
technology
Versioning
Structuring
Backing up
Curation
Security
Introduction to research
data management
5. Carrots and sticks
Work efficiently and
with minimum hassle
over the lifetime of the
project
Save time and avoid
problems in the future
Make it easy to share
your data
University of Oxford
Policy on the
Management of
Research Data and
Records
Funding body
requirements
Introduction to research
data management
6. University of Oxford policy
Introduced July 2012
Introduction to research
data management
7. University of Oxford policy
The full policy can be viewed on the Research
Data Oxford website
Covers the information needed ‘to support or
validate a research project’s observations, findings
or outputs’
Research data should be:
Accurate, complete, identifiable,
retrievable, and securely stored
Able to be made available to others
Introduction to research
data management
8. University of Oxford policy
Research data should be retained for ‘as long as they
are of continuing value to the researcher and the wider
research community’ – but a minimum of three years
Specific requirements from funders take precedence
Researchers are responsible for:
Developing and documenting clear data management
procedures
Planning for the ongoing custodianship of their data
Ensuring that legal, ethical, and funding body requirements
are met
Policy applies to University staff and doctoral students
Introduction to research
data management
9. Funders’ requirements
Funding bodies are taking an increasing
interest in what happens to research data
You may be required to make data publicly
available at the end of a project
Many funders require a data management plan
as part of grant applications
RDO website provides
a summary of requirements
Introduction to research
data management
10. EPSRC requirements
EPSRC Policy Framework on Research Data
implemented in 2011
Key requirements come into force in May 2015
Papers must state how underlying
data can be accessed
Data must be appropriately
preserved for at least ten years
Further details on the RDO site
Introduction to research
data management
12. Introduction to research
data management
‘What a mess’ by .pst, via Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/psteichen/3915657914/.
Can you find what you
need, when you need it?
Once you’ve found it, will
it be clear what it is?
13. A gift to your future self – standard working
practices
Set these up as early as possible in a project
Clear structure for storing files
File naming conventions
Version information
Document practices for future
reference
Particularly important for teams
Introduction to research
data management
14. Tricks for managing files
Add tags to files to aid searchability
Search can be faster than hunting through folders
Use hyperlinks to link files to each other
Use shortcuts to avoid duplicating files
Use file names to order files in a
folder, or to record version information
Reassess your structure periodically
Move unused items to an archive folder
Introduction to research
data management
16. Order by date:
2013-04-12_analysis_ASPH.xlsx
2013-04-12_raw-data_ASPH.txt
2012-12-15_analysis_JARID1A.xlsx
2012-12-15_raw-data_JARID1A.txt
Order by subject:
ASPH_analysis_2012-12-15.xlsx
ASPH_raw-data_2012-12-15.txt
JARID1A_analysis_2013-04-12.xlsx
JARID1A_raw-data_2013-04-12.txt
Order by type:
Analysis_ASPH_2012-12-15.xlsx
Analysis_JARID1A_2013-04-12.xlsx
Raw-data_ASPH_2012-12-15.txt
Raw-data_JARID1A_2013-04-12.txt
Forced order with numbering:
01_JARID1A_raw-data_2013-04-12.txt
02_JARID1A_analysis_2013-04-12.xlsx
03_ASPH_raw-data_2012-12-15.txt
04_ASPH_analysis_2012-12-15.xlsx
File naming strategies – examples
Introduction to research
data management
17. File naming strategies – examples
In retrospect I am not very happy with the method I
used for naming files. The biggest problem was with
the newspaper articles I downloaded… I named the
files only based on the topic of the article, without
mentioning the name of the periodical and the year
of publication, which would have been very useful
later, when I began writing the thesis.
Introduction to research
data management
– Doctoral student researching communication history
18. Are you using the right tools for the job?
Take time to assess whether your current
software and methods are meeting your needs
Sticking with old familiars can
be false economy
Ask friends and colleagues
for recommendations
Introduction to research
data management
19. Research Skills Toolkit
Website and hands-
on workshops
A guide to software,
University services,
and other tools and
resources for
research
Introduction to research
data management
http://www.skillstoolkit.ox.ac.uk/
20. IT Learning Programme
Over 200 different IT
courses
Covering software, skills,
and new technologies
ITLP Portfolio offers
course materials and
other resources
Introduction to research
data management
http://portfolio.it.ox.ac.uk/
http://courses.it.ox.ac.uk/
21. ORDS – Online Research Database
Service
Specifically designed for academic research data
Create, edit, search, and share databases online
Cloud-hosted and automatically backed up
Designed to make key tasks straightforward
Collaboration
Publishing datasets
Archiving data at end of project
http://ords.ox.ac.uk/
Introduction to research
data management
24. Make multiple copies…
…and keep them in different places
Automate the
process if you can
Introduction to research
data management
Slide adapted from
the PrePARe Project
25. Think about your storage media…
Introduction to research
data management
… and about file formats
Slide adapted from
the PrePARe Project
26. Example back-up plan
Raw data from instruments stored on the instrument
PC, which is backed up every couple of months to
DVDs
Much raw data also transferred to desktop computers –
usually stored on external hard drives
Analysed data (e.g. Excel spreadsheets and
PowerPoint files) stored in a shared folder on a
departmental server which is backed up daily
Lab books are stored inside the laboratory in locked
cupboards
Introduction to research
data management
27. IT Services: Data back-up on the HFS
HFS is Oxford’s central back-up and archiving
service
Free of charge to University staff and
postgraduates
Automated back-ups of machines connected to
University network
Copies kept in multiple places
http://www.it.ox.ac.uk/hfs
Introduction to research
data management
28. File syncing
If you work on
multiple devices,
consider file syncing
software
Always have the
latest copy of your
files available
But be careful with
sensitive data
Introduction to research
data management
29. Data security
If you’re working with sensitive data, it’s
essential to ensure that every copy kept has
appropriate security
InfoSec at IT Services can provide advice
http://www.it.ox.ac.uk/infosec/
Introduction to research
data management
31. Documentation and metadata
Documentation is the contextual information
required to make data intelligible and aid
interpretation
A users’ guide to your data
May be given at study level or data level
Metadata is similar, but usually more structured
Conforms to set standards
Machine readable
Introduction to research
data management
32. Make material understandable
What’s obvious
now might not
be in a few
months, years,
decades…
Adapted from ‘Clay Tablets with Linear B Script’ by Dennis, via Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/archer10/5692813531/
MAKE SURE
YOU CAN
UNDERSTAND
IT LATER
Slide adapted from
the PrePARe Project
Introduction to research
data management
33. Make material verifiable and reusable
• Detailing methods helps
people understand what
you did
• And helps make your
work reproducible
• Provide context to
minimize the risk of
misunderstanding or
misuse
Image by woodleywonderworks , via Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/4588700881/
Slide adapted from
the PrePARe Project
Introduction to research
data management
35. Exercise
In small groups, look at the sample data sheet
Imagine you have just downloaded this dataset from an
archive
What contextual or explanatory information is missing?
Anything odd about the data that needs clarifying?
What additional documentation
would you like to see supplied
At the data level?
At the study level?
Introduction to research
data management
36. • Who created it, when and why
• Description of the item
• Methodology and methods
• Units of measurement
• Definitions of jargon,
acronyms and code
• References to related data
Documentation – what to include
Slide adapted from
the PrePARe Project
Introduction to research
data management
37. Metadata – data about data
A formal,
structured
description
of a dataset
Used by
archives
to create
catalogue
records
Introduction to research
data management
38. ISA tools software suite
Introduction to research
data management
http://isa-tools.org/
Open source
metadata
tracking tools
for the life
sciences
39. Missing metadata – or the riddle of the
sixth toe
This painting shows
Georgiana, Duchess of
Devonshire as Diana
… or maybe Cynthia
She has six toes – but
no one knows why
Public domain image from Wikimedia Commons:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Georgiana_Cavendish,_Duchess_of_Devonshire_as_Diana.jpg
Introduction to research
data management
40. For discussion
What data management
challenges have you
encountered?
What strategies have you
personally found useful?
Be ready to feed back to
the group
Introduction to research
data management
41. WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END
OF THE PROJECT?
Introduction to research
data management
42. Video by NYU Health Sciences Libraries: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2zK3sAtr-4
Introduction to research
data management
43. Long-term data management
Key issues are preservation and sharing
What needs to be preserved to validate your
research outputs?
What does your funder require?
Is there anything you’re obliged to destroy?
What might have reuse value?
Can you make any or all of your data
available for use by other researchers?
Introduction to research
data management
44. Repositories and archives
Data repositories or archives offer a secure
long-term home for research data
Re3Data.org and Databib offer searchable
catalogues of repositories
Introduction to research
data management
45. ORA-Data
The University of Oxford’s institutional data archive
Currently in pilot phase – full launch in May 2015
Long term preservation for Oxford research datasets
without another natural home
Datasets will be assigned DOIs
Depositors can opt to make
datasets publicly available,
embargoed for a fixed period,
or hidden
Introduction to research
data management
46. ORA-Data
ORA-Data will sit alongside ORA-Publications to form a
composite University archive
Will also function as a catalogue of Oxford-created
data held in other archives
Researchers depositing data
elsewhere strongly encouraged
to add a record to ORA-Data
http://ox.libguides.com/
about-ora-data
Introduction to research
data management
47. Figshare
Figshare is a free online data sharing platform
Shared research is allocated a DataCite DOI
A possible alternative to conventional repositories
Where no suitable
repository is
available
If you need a data
sharing solution in
a hurry
Introduction to research
data management
48. Why share data? Reputation
Get credit for high quality
research
Recognition for contribution
to research community
Open data leads to increased
citations
Of the data itself
Of associated papers
Slide adapted from
the PrePARe Project
Introduction to research
data management
49. Why share data? Reuse
Reduces duplication of
effort
Allows public research
funding to be used more
effectively
Use in contexts not
currently envisaged
Extend research beyond
your discipline
Slide adapted from
the PrePARe Project
Introduction to research
data management
50. Why share data? Be a trailblazer!
A paradigm shift in how research outputs are
viewed is occurring
Data outputs are of increasing importance –
and are likely to become even more so
Major journals are increasingly
looking to publish datasets
alongside articles
Be at the forefront of an
important shift in the
academic world
Introduction to research
data management
51. Data sharing – concerns
Ethical concerns
Confidential or sensitive data
Legal concerns
Third party data
Professional concerns
Intended publication
Commercial issues (e.g. patent protection)
Introduction to research
data management
52. • Redact or embargo if there is good reason
• Planning ahead can reduce difficulties
Data sharing – concerns
Introduction to research
data management
Slide adapted from
the PrePARe Project
53. Data licensing
A licence clarifies the conditions for accessing
and making use of a dataset
Lets users know
What’s allowed without asking further
permission
How to cite the work
Specific requests to go beyond the
terms of the licence can still be made
Introduction to research
data management
54. Data licences - examples
Creative Common licences
Widely used and recognized
Six different flavours, plus CC0
public domain dedication
Open Data Commons
Specifically designed for datasets
Recognizes the structure/content
distinction for databases
Introduction to research
data management
55. Data licensing - guidance
‘How to License Research Data’
A guide from the Digital Curation Centre
http://www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/how-guides/license-research-data
Introduction to research
data management
57. Data management plans
Ideally created in the early stages of a project
While planning, applying for funding, or setting up
Initial plan may be expanded later
Details plans and expectations for data
Nature of data and its creation or
acquisition
Storage and security
Preservation and sharing
Introduction to research
data management
58. Exercise
Have a go at drafting a data management plan
for your own research
If there are questions you can’t answer at this
stage, make a note of
What you need to find out
Decisions you need to make
Introduction to research
data management
59. DMP Online
Create a data
management plan
using the DMP
Online tool
Developed by the
DCC – a national
service providing
advice and
resources
https://dmponline.dcc.ac.uk/
http://www.dcc.ac.uk/
Introduction to research
data management
60. ‘In preparing for
battle, I have always
found that plans are
useless but planning
is indispensable.’
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Introduction to research
data management
62. Research data Oxford website
Oxford’s central
advisory website
University policy
is available
Questions?
Email
researchdata
@ox.ac.uk
http://researchdata.ox.ac.uk/
Introduction to research
data management
63. IT Services: Research Support Team
Can assist with technical aspects of research
projects at all stages of the project lifecycle
Help with DMPs, selecting software or storage,
building a database, etc.
Meet with someone for a research data MOT
For more information, see:
http://research.it.ox.ac.uk/
Introduction to research
data management
64. Research Data MANTRA
Free online
interactive
training modules
Aimed at
postgraduates
and early career
researchers
http://datalib.edina.ac.uk/mantra/
Introduction to research
data management
65. Any questions?
Ask now, or email us on
researchdata@ox.ac.uk
Slides and handouts available from
http://research.it.ox.ac.uk/rdmcourses
Introduction to research
data management
66. Rights and re-use
This presentation is part of a series of research data management
training resources prepared by the IT Services Research Support
Team at the University of Oxford
The slideshow is based on one developed during the Oxford-based
DaMaRO Project. Parts of it also draw on teaching materials
produced by the PrePARe Project, DATUM for Health, and DataTrain
Archaeology
With the exception of clip art used with permission from Microsoft,
commercial logos and trademarks, and images specifically credited
to other sources, the slideshow is made available under a Creative
Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share-Alike License
Within the terms of this licence, we actively encourage sharing,
adaptation, and re-use of this material
Introduction to research
data management