1. Research Data Management
An update from Sheffield
Rachel Kane
RDM Project Manager

2. Overview Where we have come from Where we are now Where we are going
(Focus on training and guidance)
05/04/2019
© The University of Sheffield

3. 2011
Library & CiCS present to Research & Innovation Committee
Internal audit of Information Governance
EPSRC letter
J F M A M J J A S O N D
DCC Roadshow Start of 12 month project to assess RDM capability New R&I strategy launched
05/04/2019
© The University of Sheffield

4. So far… RDM Steering Group established
Scoping researchers’ requirements
RDM Policy (June 2012, part of GRIP policy)
Pockets of progress
Steering Group: Chaired by an Academic member of staff from iSchool (School of Information). Representative from each of the five Faculties, recommended by Faculty Directors of Research & Innovation. Representative from Research & Innovation Services, Library and CiCS (IT Dept), an Early Career Researcher and postgraduate student.
GRIP=Good Research & Innovation Practices
Pockets of progress:
Growing awareness/engagement
Some guidance being provided on Data Management Plans
DMSPpsych (JISC-funded, Psychology)
RDM Working Group established in Medical School
Visit to Sheffield by Martin Donnelly, DCC in January 2012
05/04/2019
© The University of Sheffield

5. Challenges
Researchers: lack of time & incentives for RDM misconceptions, other priorities, ad hoc decisions
Support staff: lack of time, need to define roles & responsibilities, training needs
Institution: need a co-ordinated approach to RDM BUT one that is flexible enough to support different areas of research.
Costs???
05/04/2019
© The University of Sheffield

6. What’s next? Strategic decisions by R&I Committee
Development of data management blueprints
Up-skill Library staff
Training and guidance for researchers
Blueprints: essentially a data management plan for similar types of project (eg one for big data such as genome sequencing; one for working with personally identifiable information; one for dealing with physical data such as Archaeological artifacts and paper records- some of which may contain PII; one for dealing with commercially sensitive data). These will be coordinated centrally to avoid duplication of effort but will be tailored sufficiently to fit the different needs and requirements associated with each type of project/data.
05/04/2019
© The University of Sheffield

7. Training Needs

8. Library Staff Training on… how to provide support and guidance for RDM
RDM Rose: JISC-funded project to develop training materials for Library staff.
RDM Rose [Research Data Management: Raising Our Staff Expertise]: project has just been funded by JISC for approx one year, to develop ‘train the trainer’ materials about data management for Library staff.
Materials will be:
developed by our iSchool
pilot-tested by Librarians at Sheffield
further refined by Librarians at Leeds and York
05/04/2019
© The University of Sheffield

9. Early Career/Contract Researchers
Training on… how to ‘do’ day-to-day data management.
Three pilot projects with our Researcher Development Team:
Engineering
Social Sciences
Archaeology
Early Career/Contract Researchers/Post Doctoral Research Associates: often carry out the bulk of day-to-day data management activities, particularly if working on a large project or conducting research on behalf of their supervisor.
Pilot projects will be small scale and will re-use existing materials where possible in order to assess what works and what doesn’t work well.
05/04/2019
© The University of Sheffield

10. PGR Students Training on…how to be a next generation researcher
Open Educational Resources (MANTRA, DataTrain)
Canvas opinions about format and delivery
Why train PGR students? To embed good practice at the beginning of their academic career, widen their skills set and increase their employability.
MANTRA (generic/Edinburgh) and DataTrain (Archaeology/Archaeology Data Service & Cambridge) etc are open source training materials aimed at PGR students. We will aim to pilot the use of these resources in some Depts in order to assess what is missing and what additional support/training/resources are needed.
We also hope to ask PGR students for feedback on how they think RDM training should be delivered.
05/04/2019
© The University of Sheffield

11. To
Discover
And
Understand.