Data management support for researchers

Research Data Management at the University of Glasgow

The University of Glasgow has undertaken a series of projects in recent years to develop its research data management capacity and capability. These range from providing training, guidance and support to extending and integrating existing systems. Work continues to develop a data policy and technical infrastructure to support research data management.

Funding landscape
Making publicly funded research data accessible for reuse and to increase its potential impact is a key objective for the majority of UK research councils and funding bodies.

RCUK released its Common Principles on Data Policy in April 2011 (http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/research/Pages/DataPolicy.aspx). The principles emphasize the need to effectively manage and share research data.

In September 2011, STFC released its own scientific data policy (http://www.stfc.ac.uk/About+STFC/37459.aspx). Again, there is a strong emphasis on managing and sharing data as well as expectations of what data will need to be retained and shared.

EPSRC released its Policy Framework on Research Data (http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/about/standards/researchdata/Pages/policyframework.aspx) in March 2011. The framework 'sets out EPSRC’s expectations concerning the management and provision of access to EPSRC-funded research data. EPSRC recognises that a range of institutional policies and practices can satisfy these expectations, and encourages research organisations to develop specific approaches which, while aligned with EPSRC’s expectations, are appropriate to their own structures and cultures'.

EPSRC Roadmap
Our draft roadmap describes how the University of Glasgow will work to conform to EPSRC expectations concerning the management and provision of access to EPSRC-funded research data between May 2012 and May 2015. The University of Glasgow's draft Research Data policy and Draft-RDM-roadmap will be piloted and evaluated incrementally from 2012-2014 to allow for iterative development and ongoing consultation with key researchers and University services (including support services at the School and College level as well as central services). Our incremental approach will ensure that our aims are realistically implementable and sustainable from May 2015 onward. The activities, roles and responsibilities described in the Roadmap will be piloted in selected schools/divisions where EPSRC funding is most active. This pilot period will provide us with detailed information regarding the range of operational and support-related costs and sustainability issues and will be used to inform wider testing of the Research Data policy and Roadmap across all Colleges and Schools.

Research data policy
The University is in the process of developing a research data policy. Work will be guided by an advisory group of researchers and research support staff to help ensure the Draft-RDM-policy is appropriate and feasible to implement.

Roadmap and policy pilot testing timeframes:

  • Draft EPSRC roadmap available for pilot testing (May 1st 2012)  
  • Pilot draft roadmap via selected implementation case studies (June 2012 – December 2013)            
  • Based on test pilots, identify costs and additional support mechanisms required and outline provision (February 2013)    
  • Check compliance with EPSRC expectations (May 2013, December 2013, May 2014)
  • Validate RD policy and roadmap for compliance with EPSRC expectations (May 2014, May 2015).

Guidance and training
The University has created a suite of research data management guidance pages,  which collate support provided across University services. Data management training courses are also provided as part of the core staff development service provision.

Sharing research data
As part of the CERIF 4 Datasets (C4D) project the University is exploring an extension of the CERIF standard. We will trial methods of cataloguing data sets to make them more visible, retrievable and usable.

Managing research data
The University Library, in concert with colleagues across the institution, will begin work on a pilot infrastructure for data management in early 2012. This repository will run EPrints 3.3 which provides support for research data.

Linking up research support systems
The University library and Research and Enterprise have linked award information into the repository. Research datasets and publications can now be linked to the relevant funding to assist with compliance with funders terms and conditions.

For advice on other output types including publications visit the Open Access pages.