Subject repositories Session 6.3 RDMRose: Research Data Management for LIS Session 6 Managing Data Session 6.3 Subject repositories Subject repositories Session 6.3 Jun-19 Learning material produced by RDMRose http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose

Learning outcomes At the end of this session you will be able to: Articulate the role of data centres Explain the benefits they might have for researchers Reflect upon different ways to promote the use of data centres by researchers Jun-19 Learning material produced by RDMRose http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose

Session overview Introducing data centres Exploring a data centre Advocacy of data centres to researchers Jun-19 Learning material produced by RDMRose http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose

Introducing data centres (Collins, 2012) There are many subject repositories / data centres world wide. They bring together datasets from a variety of sources in one place, they curate these collections, and they provide access to data that is ready to reuse. Many data centres provide extra services, e.g. guidance and training for researchers to help them create data that are ready for curation and reuse, including metadata, collection methods, and file formats. In the UK the 13 national data centres are funded by one or more of the research councils and/or JISC, and hosted by universities, national research centres, or laboratories. Jun-19 Learning material produced by RDMRose http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose

Coverage Coverage includes a wide variety of disciplines but is very patchy, e.g. the Arts and Humanities Data Service was closed in 2008. Some are designated by the relevant research council as the repository for their discipline, e.g. the five data centres mandated by NERC, the Archaeology Data Service (York) and the UK Data Archive for the social sciences (Essex). Some do not hold any original data, but focus on providing access, such as the Chemical Database Service. Jun-19 Learning material produced by RDMRose http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose

UK National Data Centres (Collins, 2012, p. 152) Name Host Subject Archaeology Data Service University of York Archaeology British Atmospheric Data Centre STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Atmospheric science British Oceanographic Data Centre National Oceanographic Centre Marine science Chemical Database Service STFC Daresbury Laboratory Chemistry EDINA University of Edinburgh Various Environmental Information Data Centre Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Terrestrial and freshwater science European Bioinformatics Institute Wellcome Trust Genome Campus Bioinformatics Mimas University of Manchester Natural Geoscience Data Centre British Geological Survey Earth sciences Jun-19 Learning material produced by RDMRose http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose

UK National Data Centres (Collins, 2012, p. 152) International bibliographies of data centres are available via http://www.databib.org/ and http://www.re3data.org. Name Host Subject NERC Earth Observation Data Centre STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Earth observation Polar Data Centre British Antarctic Survey Polar science UK Data Archive University of Essex Social science UK Solar System Data Centre Solar science Jun-19 Learning material produced by RDMRose http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose

Role of data centres (RIN, 2011) Usage of data centres seems to be relatively high with millions of downloads per data centre. But willingness to submit own data varies per data centre / discipline. RIN report conclusion: “Although deposit levels are promising, researchers need more encouragement to deposit data.” Data centres provide various services that are highly rated by their users, such as: They hold a large(r) number of datasets in a specific field This often includes references to the published literature They provide high quality preservation and presentation They ensure data and metadata are of high quality They provide technical assistance when reusing datasets And they provide training Jun-19 Learning material produced by RDMRose http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose

Benefits to researchers (RIN, 2011) Research efficiency: data centres help save time, money and effort, and help to avoid duplication. Research quality: data centres add quality to both researchers’ own work and the data they access. Research novelty: some feel data centres open up new types of research questions. Jun-19 Learning material produced by RDMRose http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose

Activity 6.3.1 Exploring a data centre Jun-19 Learning material produced by RDMRose http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose

Activity 6.3.1 Exploring a data centre Find a relevant data centre that serves a field you support in your professional role. You could check the data centres mentioned by RIN, 2011 and Collins, 2012. But it may be better to browse or search the international bibliography of research data repositories, Databib http://www.databib.org and re3data.org http://www.re3data.org. Jun-19 Learning material produced by RDMRose http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose

Activity 6.3.1 Exploring a data centre Explore the data centre of your choice, and write down the following five things researchers should be told: URL Topical scope of the data centre Channels that keep them up-to-date of new content The basic terms of deposit (what can be deposited, what metadata and other information is required, how does depositing work) Any advice on planning to deposit, from the beginning of their project, either provided by the data centre or by you Jun-19 Learning material produced by RDMRose http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose

Activity 6.3.2 Advocacy of data centres Jun-19 Learning material produced by RDMRose http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose

Activity 6.3.2 Advocacy of data centres Consider the following two questions: Think about the researchers you currently support. How aware are they of the existence of data centres? What would be the most effective ways to promote the existence of these data centres? You could use the RIN report on Data Centres: Their Use, Value and Impact to inform your discussion: http://www.rin.ac.uk/our-work/data-management-and-curation/benefits-research-data-centres. Jun-19 Learning material produced by RDMRose http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose

References Jun-19 Learning material produced by RDMRose http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose

References Collins, E. (2012). The national data centres. In G. Pryor (Ed.). Managing Research Data (pp. 151-172). London: Facet. RIN. (2011). Data Centres: Their Use, Value and Impact. London. Retrieved from http://www.rin.ac.uk/our-work/data-management-and-curation/benefits-research-data-centres. http://datacite.org/repolist and http://www.databib.org. http://www.re3data.org. Jun-19 Learning material produced by RDMRose http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/projects/rdmrose