The DCC has recently set up a mechanism to capture and reference examples of institutional research data management policies. We're doing this because we think it's useful to track their existence and because many people have told us that they would find it easier to create policies for their own institution if they could see some working examples. As a national coordination body, it's definitely our role to collate these.
Launching the guide, RIN say: "Government in the UK involves a complex array of bodies with responsibilities for developing and implementing policies. This applies as much to policies and funding for research and the research environment as to other areas in which Government is a key player.
The report examines models and terminology already in use to describe digital curation, digital repositories, data lifecycles and data
processing. It summarizes the guidance provided by research funders, data centres and curation specialists on curating digital data,
alongside any requirements they impose. Finally, it provides a brief
overview of standards and tools of particular relevance to the ERIM
project, and draws lessons from the introduction of a new curation
policy at the World Data Center for Climate.
The JISC-funded ERIS project aims to enhance curation and preservation processes within institutions in order to build confidence amongst researchers in the longevity of repositories. As a first step, a survey was undertaken to collect information on the status of digital curation and preservation policies in Scottish HEIs. The survey, which did not identify any preservation policies endorsed at an institutional level, revealed that repositories are still relatively young, and that preservation is not yet amongst their highest priorities.