Developing a roadmap for RDM
We trialled a new session at the Loughborough roadshow on developing data policy and services. This ended with an exercise on producing an RDM roadmap, as the EPSRC requirement to do this by May 2012 is uppermost on many people's minds.
When feeding back on the draft slides, Ben Ryan of the EPSRC stressed the importance of the roadmapping process needed to produce a plan. Institutions should review their current capabilities to identify what changes are needed to ensure compliance, and then devise a realistic plan to implement these within the 3-year timeframe.
The EPSRC recognises that circumstances will be very different within each institution and acknowledges that it is not in a position to judge the appropriateness of individual plans. Instead it is asking institutions to self-certify and will undertake dipstick monitoring to test compliance. The reminder sent to Vice Chancellors on 10th February confirms that the EPSRC "will not require roadmaps to be formally submitted [but] may ask to see individual roadmaps on a case by case basis."
Feedback at Loughborough was encouraging - delegates had a clearer sense of where to get started and many left with a list of concrete actions. It seems most universities have already done some work to scope requirements, or are at least aware of the main areas where further development is needed.
Reviewing your current infrastructure and support is the first step and the DCC provides several tools to help you do this. We started the roadshow by completing the mini CARDIO quiz - try it out to get a basic sense of where action is most needed.
We're currently developing new guidance for institutions planning to develop research data management services, which we anticipate will be supplemented by a toolkit full of detailed, practical case studies. Please let us know if you have examples to share, or if there are aspects that you'd like us to prioritise.
Slides and exercises from the Loughborough roadshow
Image credit: CC-BY-NC by Pete Reed
