Current Best Practice for Research Data Management Policies report

Date: Aug 24, 2015

In 2014, CODATA was commissioned by the Danish e-Infrastructure Cooperation and the Danish Digital Library to produce a briefing note or report on Current Best Practice for Research Data Management Policies. The full report - written by Simon Hodson and Laura Molloy and including an Executive Summary, Report and Appendices - was completed in May 2014 and is now avaialble from the CODATA collection in Zenodo.

What is FaceBase?

From FaceBase https://www.facebase.org/

"FaceBase was initially launched in 2009 with eleven research and technology grants. The first phase from 2009 through 2014 focused on the middle region of the human face and the genetics related to developmental disorders such as cleft lip and palate. The data from this first band of projects created an huge database for the head and skull and craniofacial development available free to the public.

In 2014, the second 5-year phase of FaceBase launched with ISI's Informatics Division manning the Coordinating Center (known as the Hub) and ten new projects expanding FaceBase's domain to include more regions. The Hub is also developing new systems and tools including more complex yet intuitive search capabilities and greater detail and analysis in viewing data."

Ethics and Sharing Health Research Data

Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics Special issue: Ethics and sharing individual-level health research data from low and middle income settings


Guest editors: Susan Bull and Michael Parker 
http://jre.sagepub.com/content/current 

New Nature Editorial: Rise of the citizen scientist

"...Some professional scientists are sniffy about the role of amateurs, but as an increasing number of academic papers makes clear, the results can be valuable and can help both to generate data and to inform policy..."

http://www.nature.com/news/rise-of-the-citizen-scientist-1.18192?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20150820&spMailingID=49357355&spUserID=NDg3Mjc3MjM4MzYS1&spJobID=743016620&spReportId=NzQzMDE2NjIwS0

CASRAI Glossary of terms: Research Data Management

The Glossary has been developed in consultation with vocabulary experts and practitioners from a wide cross-section of stakeholder groups. It is meant to be a practical reference for individuals and working groups concerned with the improvement of research data management, and as a meeting place for further discussion and development of terms. The aim is to create a stable and sustainably governed glossary of community accepted terms and definitions, and to keep it relevant by maintaining it as a ‘living document’ that is updated when necessary.

http://dictionary.casrai.org/Category:Research_Data_Domain

New article: Borgman et al: Knowledge infrastructures in science: data, diversity, and digital libraries

Knowledge infrastructures in science: data, diversity, and digital libraries
Borgman, Christine L.; Darch, Peter T.; Sands, Ashley E.; Pasquetto, Irene V.; Golshan, Milena S.; Wallis, Jillian C.; Traweek, Sharon
International Journal on Digital Libraries, Vol. 16 Issue 3-4 – 2015: 207 - 227

10.1007/s00799-015-0157-z



Digital libraries can be deployed at many points throughout the life cycles of scientific research projects from their inception through data collection, analysis, documentation, publication, curation, preservation, and stewardship. Requirements for digital libraries to manage research data vary along many dimensions, including life cycle, scale, research domain, and types and degrees of openness. This article addresses the role of digital libraries in knowledge infrastructures for science, presenting evidence from long-term studies of four research sites.

Examples are presented of the challenges in designing digital libraries and knowledge infrastructures to manage and steward research data.

ORCID may help enhance our understanding of university-industry collaboration

The Department of Industry and Science has recently completed a review of the National Survey of Research Commercialisation  where "research engagement" data has been identified as an important source to measure university-industry collaboration.  

The report states that by 2017,

"Government will look for ways to identify the classification of research [administrative] data by using for example, the ANZSRC and working with other Australian Government departments and agencies to integrate unique researcher IDs (ORCID) and organisational IDs (OpenCorporates) into existing datasets."

See page 22 http://www.industry.gov.au/innovation/reportsandstudies/NSRCReview/Documents/Final-NSRC-Review-Report.pdf

 

DataQ: Q & A forum for all things data management

DataQ is live! DataQ is a collaborative platform and community aimed at addressing research data questions in academic libraries. Check out http://ResearchDataQ.org to find answers to questions about data management plans, DOIs, ARKs, repositories, and more!

DataQ is a living resource, so continue to submit your questions and our editorial team of experts will craft responses to share with the community.

 The DataQ project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services Sparks! Ignition Grant for Libraries SP-02-14-0020-14 awarded to the University of Colorado Boulder Libraries, the Greater Western Library Alliance, and the Great Plains Network.

 

Griffith Research Hub: Connecting an entire University's research enterprise

Griffith Research Hub: Connecting an entire University's research enterprise

Natasha Simons, Arve Solland, Jan Hettenhausen

Book chapter in: Linked Data and User Interaction

IFLA publication, deGruyter 2015

Abstract: Universities are operating in a knowledge environment characterised by competition, collaboration, a diversification of research outputs and rapid technological change. Thus the use of linked data is rapidly gaining momentum, typically for educational resources with research as a subset of this content.  The Griffith Research Hub is focused specifically on exposing linked data for research. It provides a publicly accessible, single comprehensive view of Griffith University’s research output and activities, including research publications, projects, datasets, centres, researchers and their collaborators. The Hub serves an ambitiously wide audience including higher degree research students, researchers, industry and the media. Built in-house on open source semantic web technologies, the Hub draws data automatically from multiple enterprise systems and includes an edit interface for manual correction and enrichment of data. The Hub is the product of a partnership between Griffith University and the Australian National Data Service. Benefits of the Hub include powerful yet simple search and browse tools, generation of substantial web traffic, linked data that allows users to seamlessly discover related information in other services and databases including at the National Library of Australia, visualisation features, and the development of a shared ontology to describe research activities.

Librarians as partners in research data service development at Griffith University

Librarians as partners in research data service development at Griffith University

Samantha Searle, Malcolm Wolski, Natasha Simons, Joanna Richardson

Program 2015 49:4

The purpose of the paper is to describe the evolution to date and future directions in research data policy, infrastructure, skills development and advisory services in an Australian university, with a focus on the role of librarians.

The authors have been involved in the development of research data services at Griffith, and the case study presents observations and reflections arising from their first-hand experiences.

Griffith University's organisational structure and 'whole-of-enterprise' approach has facilitated service development to support research data. Fostering strong national partnerships has also accelerated development of institutional capability. Policies and strategies are supported by pragmatic best practice guidelines aimed directly at researchers. Iterative software development and a commitment to well-supported enterprise infrastructure enable the provision of a range of data management solutions. Training programs, repository support and data planning services are still relatively immature. Griffith recognises that information services staff (including librarians) will need more opportunities to develop knowledge and skills to support these services as they evolve.

This case study provides examples of library-led and library-supported activities that could be used for comparative purposes by other libraries. At the same time, it provides a critical perspective by contrasting areas of good practice within the University with those of less satisfactory progress. While other institutions may have different constraints or opportunities, some of the major concepts within this paper may prove useful to advance the development of research data capability and capacity across the library profession.

The Story of Dr Ilaria Capua

In 2006 Dr Ilaria Capua and her lab in Italy successfully isolated the African and Italian strains of H5N1 bird flu.  She was invited by World Health Organisation to deposit the sequence to the Influenza Sequence Database at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.  The database however was password protected with access limited to a small number of research groups.  Dr Capua declined the offer and deposited the sequence in the open GenBank database instead.  Dr Capua's letter to her colleagues was reprinted in Wall Street Journal.  Her story was also covered by New York Times and Washington Post. 

Dr Capua's letter:
http://on.wsj.com/1DJoZiu

Wall Street Journal article:
http://on.wsj.com/1DJnhO3

New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/15/opinion/15wed4.html?_r=0 

Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2006/05/25/bird-flu-fears-ignite-debate-on-scientists-sharing-of-data/caf5ce4e-c68e-44bd-bc07-6e423a58475a/

Dr Capua's speech at ERA Conference in 2012 recounting her story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Neu9Zv-zRs

New article: Data journals: a survey

Data journals: A survey
Candela, Leonardo; Castelli, Donatella; Manghi, Paolo; Tani, Alice
Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology (JASIST), Vol. 66 Issue 9 – 2015: 1747 - 1762

10.1002/asi.23358

Data occupy a key role in our information society. However, although the amount of published data continues to grow and terms such as data deluge and big data today characterize numerous (research) initiatives, much work is still needed in the direction of publishing data in order to make them effectively discoverable, available, and reusable by others. Several barriers hinder data publishing, from lack of attribution and rewards, vague citation practices, and quality issues to a rather general lack of a data-sharing culture. Lately, data journals have overcome some of these barriers. In this study of more than 100 currently existing data journals, we describe the approaches they promote for data set description, availability, citation, quality, and open access. We close by identifying ways to expand and strengthen the data journals approach as a means to promote data set access and exploitation.

Compelling Stories for Opening up Data

In a series of value-stories, the Open Data Handbook (http://opendatahandbook.org) provides compelling stories around the world why making data more open can generate huge benefits both socially and economically.  Here's some samples.

http://opendatahandbook.org/value-stories/en/

Open data reduces mortality rate in UK hospitals
Written by Katelyn Rogers
http://opendatahandbook.org/value-stories/en/uk-mortality/

Hong Kong/China - open sourcing genomes / crowdsourcing killer outbreaks
Written by S.C. Edmunds
http://opendatahandbook.org/value-stories/en/open-sourcing-genomes/

Open data businesses - an oxymoron or a new model?
Written by Mor Rubinstein & Christian Villum
http://opendatahandbook.org/value-stories/en/business-and-open-data/

Exposing $62m in potential pharmaceutical savings in Southern Africa
Written by The Open Data Institute
http://opendatahandbook.org/value-stories/en/pharmaceutical-savings-in-southern-africa/

Digital Preservation for the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities - benefits for everyone

from: http://www.dcc.ac.uk/blog/digital-preservation-arts-social-sciences-and-humanities-benefits-everyone

Laura Molloy

I had the pleasure of delivering a paper at the first Digital Preservation for the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (DPASSH) conference in Dublin at the end of June. This was hosted by the team at DRI, Digital Repository of Ireland, at the same time as exciting changes for them – indeed, one of the notable events of the conference was the official opening of the DRI complete with a representative of the Irish government in attendance.

This focus on something new is of course in the context of a greater overall focus on things old – or at least historical. The theme of the conference was ‘Shaping our Legacy: Safeguarding the Social and Cultural Record’ – a useful way to draw together thoughts about the impact of our curation decisions today on the shape of tomorrow’s digital collections. Whether these are collections of art, museum holdings or research datasets, their form and extent will potentially influence thought and decision-making for generations to come. 

Whilst much DCC activity engages with research practice from across many disciplines, one area that I find particularly interesting is research practice where the term ‘research data’ is one that researchers are not necessarily comfortable with. It is important to remember that many scholars in the arts and humanities are indeed very confident and comfortable with the term ‘research data’ and apply it happily in their own practice. But not all scholars feel this way, and many of those in my experience happen to emerge from the arts and humanities areas. So how do we engage with these audiences?

- See more at: http://www.dcc.ac.uk/blog/digital-preservation-arts-social-sciences-and-humanities-benefits-everyone#sthash.mfuNcujX.dpuf

Scientists Are Hoarding Data And It’s Ruining Medical Research

http://www.buzzfeed.com/bengoldacre/deworming-trials

We like to imagine that science is a world of clean answers, with priestly personnel in white coats, emitting perfect outputs, from glass and metal buildings full of blinking lights.

The reality is a mess. A collection of papers published on Wednesday — on one of the most commonly used medical treatments in the world — show just how bad things have become. But they also give hope.

The papers are about deworming pills that kill parasites in the gut, at extremely low cost. In developing countries, battles over the usefulness of these drugs have become so contentious that some people call them “The Worm Wars.”

Every year hundreds of millions of children in the developing world are given deworming tablets, whether they have worms or not. It’s easy to see why this intervention is so appealing: In principle, children’s health, survival, and school performance can improve with a simple pill, given just once a year, costing only 2 cents.

This approach was endorsed by the World Health Organization. A meeting of eminent researchers, including four Nobel Prize winners, listed the medications in the top four most cost-effective interventions worldwide. As part of a publicity stunt at the Davos Summit in 2008, Cherie Blair, wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, reportedly chased world leaders around the room pretending to be a giant intestinal worm.

Nobody doubts that treating people who have worms is a good idea. More problematic is the idea of treating whole populations of schoolchildren to improve health and school performance....

http://www.buzzfeed.com/bengoldacre/deworming-trials

Over 1.5 million ORCID iDs served!

Taken from: http://orcid.org/blog/2015/07/31/15-million-orcid-ids-served

Submitted by Laure Haak on Mon, 2015-08-03 00:00

​

Growing up, I remember passing by the local hamburger chain (yes, the one with golden arches) and watching the sign tick up from “1 million served” and then switch over to counting in the billions.

While billions and billions should likely remain a statement about stars in the universe, I am very proud that ORCID has reached the earthly milestone of 1.5 million iDs served.

First, I thank you, the community, for your continued interest, support, and engagement.   We now have over 300 organizational members and a similar number of member-built  identifier “collection points", making it that much easier for researchers to connect their iD with their contributions.  We’ve showcased a number of these implementations on our Member Support Center.

Thanks to generous support from the Helmsley Trust and the European Commission, we’ve been able to build our team to meet community demand, and now have technical and outreach staff in Asia, Latin America, North America, Africa, and Europe.  We’ve been racking up lots and lots of air miles to meet with you (five continents in as many months for me!), and the regional teams have started a series of regional workshops to bring ORCID to your area.   

Our technical team has been busy, launching peer review acknowledgements and an updated API and, coming later this year, support for federated login.  We are also pleased to see the community using our record update API, and are looking forward to launches soon by CrossRef and DataCite that will automatically update ORCID records with published papers and datasets for which the author included their ORCID iD.

Together, we are getting a LOT closer to seamless interoperability between research information systems, improved discoverability, and reduced reporting workload for researchers. Let’s keep reaching for the stars!  

Blog

• Laure Haak's blog

Taken from : http://orcid.org/blog/2015/07/31/15-million-orcid-ids-served

Open Data Maturity Model

The Open Data Institute from the U.K. has released the Open Data Maturity Model in March 2015.  The model is very similar to the one developed by ANDS in 2011 for research data.  This is a good cross domain validation of such an assessment model for organisations.

"The Open Data Maturity Model is a way to assess how well an organisation publishes and consumes open data, and identifies actions for improvement.

The model is based around five themes and five progress levels. Each theme represents a broad area of operations within an organisation. Each theme is broken into areas of activity, which can then be used to assess progress."

http://opendatainstitute.org/guides/maturity-model 

http://www.ands.org.au/guides/dmframework/dmf-capability-maturity-guide.html

Making data count - data paper in Scientific Data (Nature)

Making data count

John E Kratz & Carly Strasser
Scientific Data 2, Article number: 150039 (2015)

​doi:10.1038/sdata.2015.39

Published online 4/8/15

 

Science is built on a foundation of data. The production and publication of that data should be recognized as valuable scholarship, but data lacks an essential prerequisite for modern-day scholarly recognition—accepted metrics of significance. The scientific community has traditionally estimated the impact of a journal article by counting the number of subsequent references to it; more recently, a suite of web-based alternative metrics (‘altmetrics’) offer faster assessment and the chance capture other kinds of impact¹. Data can be fit into these article-centered assessment systems by proxy, via data descriptor articles in journals like Earth Systems Science Data or Scientific Data^2,3. Another approach is to apply familiar metrics directly to datasets published in online databases or repositories. Complicating matters, the same metric may mean different things with respect to articles versus datasets. A researcher can read an article online closely without downloading the PDF version, but if they view a dataset landing page without downloading the data, their level of engagement is almost certainly low. A better understanding of how to measure data impact is critical if we are to reward data creators and incentivize data publication.

 

 

 

 

Australian universities preserving Asia and Pacific cultural traditions

In this news clip, the ABC reported the role of Australian universities in preserving research data that is of cultural and historical importance to the Asia and Pacific.  Professor Nicholas Evans (Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language) recounted his close collaboration with the Pacific and Regional Archive for Digital Sources in Endangered Cultures (PARADISEC).

http://youtu.be/5AkxphK31fQ 

For details about how the ARC Centre of Excellence will integrate their data repository with PRDADISEC for accessible future reuse, see

http://www.dynamicsoflanguage.edu.au/research/data-archives/

Open Access to International Space Station Science Data

The Physical Science Informatics System is NASA's new open data repository to allow researchers on Earth to access data collected from the International Space Station. 

"At NASA, we are excited to announce the roll-out of the Physical Science Informatics (PSI) data repository for physical science experiments performed on the International Space Station (ISS). The PSI system is now accessible and open to the public. This will be a resource for researchers to data mine the PSI system and expand upon the valuable research performed on the ISS using it as a research tool to further science, while also fulfilling the President's Open Data Policy."

http://psi.nasa.gov/

A YouTube video about the repository is at

http://youtu.be/4Vx6CNTs-aE