How to Support Development of Research Data Management?

Objectives

• Testing the tools created within the project within different scientific disciplines

• Helping users assess their research data management (RDM) maturity levels

• Providing users with step-by-step actions to improve their RDM maturity

Approach

• Four use cases around Europe with different starting-points

• A questionnaire was sent out to a group of people

→ assessment of RDM maturity → received recommendations on improving

the RDM awareness → feedback in both directions!

• Lorraine Earth and Environment Observatory (OTELo)

/ Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (INIST-CNRS)

• VU University Amsterdam / Department of Communication Science, Faculty of Social Sciences

• Nordic Center of Excellence Justice Through Education

(JustEd) in the Nordic Countries

• Library and Information Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences

OTELo/INIST-CNRS VU University Amsterdam

JustEd MTA Library

Targeted group Researchers Researchers Researchers Researchers, funders, publisher

Objective RDM awareness raising. Writing functional specifications → RDM technical infrastructure

Develop an openly accessible online platform for social science research

Map the differences in the national legal frameworks associated with depositing and sharing data in the Nordic countries, also map out available and suitable repositories for data used by researchers from several partner institutions

Implementation of a software tool, providing statistics on OA compliance and feedback to institutions and individual researchers on OA status.

Added value to initiative provided by SIM4RDM framework

Raised RDM awareness. Social infrastructure cross-talking with institution and researchers to improve RDM

Identification of critical factors for user engagement. Assessment and interpretation into tangible recommendations

The tools to be used at baseline level and soon thereafter a tool for testing improvement, thus helping improve RDM maturity

Added value to research funders and promote OA awareness and higher OA availability

Areas tested: Organisational (O), Legal (L), Technical (T), User Engagement (U), Data Reuse (D)

O, T O, L, T, U L T

Objectives of the case studies

Main findings • The tool:

– The terminology used presents a serious barrier for respondents who are not familiar with IT and RDM

– No “one-size-fits-all”-approach is applicable – Recommendations: To link the SIM4RDM tool to a

knowledge bank (data base) of available references and use cases in RDM area for further implementation of recommended actions. To supply the SIM4RDM tool with monitoring and feedback as advanced features of the SIM4RDM framework

Main findings (contin.) • RDM in relation to specific domain:

– Ad hoc versions of the tool were wished for which completely would meet the requirements set within their scientific field

– OA not applicable within all scientific fields

• RDM awareness/maturity: – Generally, the SIM4RDM questionnaire and recommendation tool

were found really useful. The tools have raised researchers’ awareness

– Good guidance via SIM4RDM framework, gives some legitimacy to further actions and assists in developing new services

– Systematically addressing all the different features of sustainable RDM schemes, which enables asking the right questions, and initiating practical steps and plans to improve features that were identified as optimal. In this respect, the one-on-one linking of the questionnaire to the cookbook is of great use

Main findings (contin.) • Weaknesses discussed:

– Lack of RDM awareness of scientists and appropriate incentives – Lack of appropriate technical infrastructure, tools and personnel – Institutions and journals are immature in setting RDM

requirements – Institutions are underdeveloped in providing RDM related

technical and legal support – Data peer-reviewing is a unknown concept for many social

scientists • Future steps:

– RDM maturity levels shall be demonstrated on the basis of available references and use cases

– Will take note of requirements set by trusted repositories. The awareness of DM needs to be raised among researchers and broadly among the university staff