1. 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
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2. 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
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3. Session overview Introducing data centres Exploring a data centre
Advocacy of data centres to researchers
Jun-19
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4. 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
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5. 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
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6. 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
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7. UK National Data Centres (Collins, 2012, p. 152)
International bibliographies of data centres are available via and
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
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8. 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
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9. 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
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10. Activity 6.3.1 Exploring a data centre
Jun-19
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11. 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 and re3data.org
Jun-19
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12. 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
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13. Activity 6.3.2 Advocacy of data centres
Jun-19
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14. 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:
Jun-19
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15. References
Jun-19
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16. References
Collins, E. (2012). The national data centres. In G. Pryor (Ed.). Managing Research Data (pp ). London: Facet.
RIN. (2011). Data Centres: Their Use, Value and Impact. London. Retrieved from
and
Jun-19
Learning material produced by RDMRose