Richard Ferrers

Understanding the Needs of Research Institutions to better manage Research Information – an Australian perspective

Research Data Analyst12 Sept 2016 – INORMS Conf

The Australian National Data Service (ANDS) makes Australia’s research data assets more valuable for researchers, research institutions and the nation.

Why care about data?• “Data as a significant engagement and impact gateway”.

ANDS Submission to ARC on Impact and Engagement (2016)

• “Data is central to all research .... For Australia to increase productivity and address grand challenges over the coming decades, it will require a national research capability that can deliver competitive advantage in a data-rich future”.

National Research Infrastructure Capability Issues Paper, p.46 (Aust Govt 2016), The Australian Research Data Infrastructure Strategy (Research Data Infrastructure Committee 2014)

Data Impact StoriesANDS collects impact stories at #dataimpact.

•Mapping sports data for better decision making•Data on bushfire fatalities helping to prevent more deaths•HILDA survey shapes policy on tax and jobs

The Challenge – managing data as a first-class research output at Universities

Learning from each other, sharing, comparingWhat are other Institutions doing?Is our institution behind or ahead?What systems are others using?

=> connecting research systems to data systems

Our approach – engage an RDII communityResearch Data Information Integration (RDII) Activity

Create a national anonymised resource list of research management systems; compare

Webinar series (11 orgs) on data management lifecycle; showcase

State-based Workshops; engage (Vic, NSW, Qld, WA/SA/Tas)Online community for ongoing exchange; discuss / share

Many challenges at Institutional Levelhttps://answergarden.ch/336637

Connecting Institutional Systems

Data

Research Management

SystemPublications

PlanStorage DescribeCiteRetain / Dispose

HarvestResearcher Profiles

Connect to: Ethics, HR, BI, Fin

Lessons to date - RDIIhttps://answergarden.ch/337498

“New software fatigue”Researcher issues; resistance, engagement, designFixing one system, shows up weakness in other systemsTrend away from in-house development; cloud

Conclusions (to date… Sep ‘16) Where are we now?

Combination of Research Systems very diverse, so no single user requirements for solution

Collaboration Critical (Lib, IT, Research Office)DMPs still immature to control data managementStorage (for some), sustainability ($$) still a challengeFuture priorities: ORCiD as important connectorNext steps: keep talking, sharing, learning

Keep Talking; Workshop comments• “good idea to continue this as a regular catch up form.

Thanks.”• “good understanding of where each university are at within

this space and great discussion on future development”• “Research data integration and implementation requires

‘whole’ University governance. System Integration across sector complex and disparate”

• “interesting to hear about major projects underway to ‘go back to basics’ and look at what needed by researchers”

Get engagedShare your experience – learnings – strategies with the RDII Community

What opportunities do you see to collect information about research data at your institution? https://answergarden.ch/337498

What barriers to managing research data do you see at your organisation?https://answergarden.ch/336637

RDII Resources; what next? Join us…Visit the resources on the RDII Website:

http://www.ands.org.au/partners-and-communities/ands-communities/rdii-community

Including workplan, data life cycle, webinar archiveJoin the RDII Community (closed areas by invite only):

https://sites.google.com/site/andsrdii/Contact ANDS for more assistance

richard.ferrers@ands.org.au

Research Data Analystrichard.ferrers@ands.org.au+61 3 9902 0569

Richard Ferrers (ANDS) | Paul Wong (ANDS) | Floris van der Leest (VU)

With the exception of third party images or where otherwise indicated, this work is licensed under the Creative Commons 4.0 International Attribution Licence.

ANDS is supported by the Australian Government through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy Program. Monash University leads the partnership with the Australian National University and CSIRO.