Because good research needs good data

Where are they now? An RDM update from the University of Salford

The University of Salford has embarked on the journey of building an effective Research Data Management Service. After receiving support from the DCC in 2012 a CARDIO assessment of the University’s preparedness to meet research data challenges was conducted, our EPSRC roadmap was completed and...

Hannah Baker | 28 May 2014

The University of Salford has embarked on the journey of building an effective Research Data Management Service. After receiving support from the DCC in 2012 a CARDIO assessment of the University’s preparedness to meet research data challenges was conducted, our EPSRC roadmap was completed and awareness raising began across the University.

Hannah Baker, Research Data Manager, was appointed in January 2014 with a remit of coordinating the development and delivery of the Research Data Management Service for Salford. Hannah is based in the Library and is working closely with Research & Innovation and IT Services. Top level support from the University is strengthening the Project and our DAF survey has been disseminated to find out as much as we can about the research data we are dealing with. This will be a major advocacy task and Hannah is actively engaging with Salford’s research staff to understand their needs and raise awareness of the importance and opportunities associated with managing research data.

A half day workshop, to be presented by the DCC, has been organised and will introduce the role of data sharing, as well as providing practical sessions on creating data management plans and using DMPonline. The aim is to continually support our researchers by providing a variety of training and guidance in the future, and includes investigating the demand for lunchtime seminars which address specific elements of the data lifecycle. Our ambition is to deliver an effective Research Data Management Service which is flexible to our researcher’s requirements, and strives to be innovative and inspirational in providing the infrastructure and support. The University’s Research Impact Coordinator, Dr Victoria Moody is working with Hannah to ensure that Research Data Management at the University demonstrates impact. The aim is to offer engaged,  externally facing data resources, structured to make as much of our research data open and reusable as possible, to meet the vast opportunity of new forms of collaboration, reduced duplication, better informed citizens, better products, services, new forms of impact - new value.

There are 4 datasets in our institutional repository (USIR) already, but the design and delivery of a data specific storage solution is being explored to securely store and share our data on a larger scale. Testing the water with these initial datasets should prove invaluable.

The Research Data Policy will be developed over the summer and it will involve investigating the collection of research data policies published by other UK universities to help inform ours. On this note, we’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of the contributors to the Research Data Management movement who are accelerating progress by sharing their insights and resources. The University of Salford will be following in these footsteps and we look forward to an enhanced future of collaboration and research excellence.

You can now find us on Twitter! @OpenDataSalford

 

Earlier RDM updates

 

An RDM update from Queen's University Belfast

 

An RDM update from the University of East London

 

Earlier RDM updates

 

An RDM update from the University of Salford

 

An RDM update from Queen's University Belfast

 

An RDM update from the University of East London

 

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