This slideshow was used in an Introduction to Research Data Management course taught for the Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Division, University of Oxford, on 2014-02-26. It provides an overview of some key issues, looking at both day-to-day data management, and longer term issues, including sharing, and curation.

1. Introduction to research
data management
Slides provided by the Research Support
Team, IT Services, University of Oxford

2. WHAT IS RESEARCH DATA
MANAGEMENT?
Introduction to research
data management

3. What is data?
“A reinterpretable representation of information in a formalized
manner suitable for communication, interpretation, or processing.”
Digital Curation Centre
Slide adapted from
the PrePARe Project
Introduction to research
data management

4. What is data?
Any information you use in your
research
Slide adapted from
the PrePARe Project
Introduction to research
data management

5. Introductions

What sort of data do you use?
 Where does it come from?
 Are
you creating new data?
 Are
you working with pre-existing data?
 Where is your data stored?
Introduction to research
data management

6. What is data management?

A general term covering how you organize,
structure, store, and care for the information
used or generated during a research project
 How
you deal with information on a day-today basis over the lifetime of a project
happens to data in the longer term –
what you do with it after the project
concludes
 What
Introduction to research
data management

7. Carrots and sticks

Work efficiently and
 University of Oxford
with minimum hassle
Policy on the
now
Management of
Research Data and
 Save time and avoid
problems in the future Records
 Make it easy to share  Funding body
requirements
your data
Introduction to research
data management

8. University of Oxford policy
Introduced July 2012
Introduction to research
data management

9. University of Oxford policy



The full policy can be viewed on the University of
Oxford Research Data Management website
Research data defined as the information needed „to
support or validate a research project‟s observations,
findings or outputs‟
Research data should be:
 Accurate, complete, identifiable, retrievable, and
securely stored
 Able to be made available to others
Introduction to research
data management

10. University of Oxford policy

Research data should be retained for „as long as they
are of continuing value to the researcher and the wider
research community‟ – but a minimum of three years


Specific requirements from funders take precedence
Researchers are responsible for:


Planning for the ongoing custodianship of their data


Developing and documenting clear data management procedures
Ensuring that legal, ethical, and funding body requirements are met
Policy applies to University staff and doctoral students

Depositing relevant research data may ultimately become a condition
of award for doctorates
Introduction to research
data management

11. Funders‟ requirements

Funding bodies are taking an increasing
interest in what happens to research data
 You may be required to make your data
publicly available at the end of a project
 Check
the small print in your grant conditions

Many funders require a data management plan
as part of grant applications
 Oxford‟s RDM website provides a summary of
requirements
Introduction to research
data management

12. DAY-TO-DAY DATA
MANAGEMENT
Introduction to research
data management

13. Can you find what you
need, when you need it?
„What a mess‟ by .pst, via Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/psteichen/3915657914/.
Introduction to research
data management

14. Hierarchical systems vs. tagging

Hierarchical organization uses nested folders


Default option for most operating systems
Tagging allows more flexibility


Some operating systems support tagging


Items can be in multiple categories
File tagging software is also
available
Sort… or search?
Introduction to research
data management

15. Adding tags in Windows 7
Introduction to research
data management

16. Hyperlinks and shortcuts


Hyperlinks are not just for websites –
they can also lead to other files on your
computer
Use shortcuts to avoid duplicating files
 Create
project folders as an easy way to
access related material
Introduction to research
data management

17. File naming

Aim for concise but informative names
 Ideally,
you should be able to tell what‟s in a file
without opening it

Think about the ordering of elements within a
filename
 YYYY-MM-DD
dates allow chronological sorting
 You
can force an order by adding a number at
the beginning of the name

Consider including version information
Introduction to research
data management

18. File naming strategies – examples

Order by date:

Order by type:
2013-04-12_analysis_ASPH.xlsx
2013-04-12_raw-data_ASPH.txt
Analysis_JARID1A_2013-04-12.xlsx
2012-12-15_analysis_JARID1A.xlsx
Raw-data_ASPH_2012-12-15.txt
2012-12-15_raw-data_JARID1A.txt

Analysis_ASPH_2012-12-15.xlsx
Raw-data_JARID1A_2013-04-12.txt
Order by subject:

Forced order with numbering:
ASPH_analysis_2012-12-15.xlsx
01_JARID1A_raw-data_2013-04-12.txt
ASPH_raw-data_2012-12-15.txt
02_JARID1A_analysis_2013-04-12.xlsx
JARID1A_analysis_2013-04-12.xlsx
03_ASPH_raw-data_2012-12-15.txt
JARID1A_raw-data_2013-04-12.txt
04_ASPH_analysis_2012-12-15.xlsx
Introduction to research
data management

19. File naming strategies – examples
In retrospect I am not very happy with the method I
used for naming files. The biggest problem was with
the newspaper articles I downloaded… I named the
files only based on the topic of the article, without
mentioning the name of the periodical and the year
of publication, which would have been very useful
later, when I began writing the thesis.
– Doctoral student researching communication history
Introduction to research
data management

20. Are you using the right tools for the job?

Take time to assess whether your current
software and methods are meeting your needs
 Sticking with old familiars can be false
economy
 Ask friends and colleagues for
recommendations
Introduction to research
data management

21. Research Skills Toolkit

Website and handson workshops
 A guide to software,
University services,
and other tools and
resources for
research
 Requires SSO login
http://www.skillstoolkit.ox.ac.uk/
Introduction to research
data management

22. IT Learning Programme

Over 200 different IT
courses
 Covering software, skills,
and new technologies
http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/itlp/
 ITLP Portfolio offers
course materials and
other resources
http://portfolio.it.ox.ac.uk/
Introduction to research
data management

23. ORDS – Online Research Database
Service

Specifically designed for academic research data
 Cloud-hosted and automatically backed up
 Web interface makes collaboration straightforward
 If desired, databases can easily be made public
 Designed to permit easy archiving
 Currently being used by a small group of test users –
will become more widely available
later in 2014
 http://ords.ox.ac.uk/
Introduction to research
data management

24. KEEPING YOUR DATA SAFE
Introduction to research
data management

25. Backing up is
easier than
replacing
lost data…
http://blogs.ch.cam.ac.uk/pmr/2011/08/01/why-you-need-a-data-management-plan/
Slide adapted from
the PrePARe Project
Introduction to research
data management

26. Make multiple copies…
…and keep them in different places
Automate the
process if you can
Slide adapted from
the PrePARe Project
Introduction to research
data management

27. Example back-up plan




Raw data from instruments are stored on the
instrument PC, which is backed up every couple of
months to DVDs
Much raw data also transferred to desktop computers –
usually stored on external hard drives
Analysed data (e.g. Excel spreadsheets and
PowerPoint files) are stored in a shared folder on a
departmental server which is backed up daily
Lab books are stored inside the laboratory in locked
cupboards
Introduction to research
data management

28. IT Services: Data Back-up on the HFS
HFS is Oxford‟s central back-up and archiving
service
 Free of charge to University staff and
postgraduates
 Automated back-ups of machines connected to
University network
 Copies kept in multiple places

Introduction to research
data management

29. Think about your storage media…
… and about file formats
Slide adapted from
the PrePARe Project
Introduction to research
data management

30. For discussion

What data management challenges have you
encountered?
 What strategies have you personally found
useful?
 Be ready to feed back to the group
Introduction to research
data management

31. DOCUMENTATION AND
METADATA
Introduction to research
data management

32. Documentation and metadata

Documentation is the contextual information
required to make data intelligible and aid
interpretation
A
users‟ guide to your data
 May

be given at study level or data level
Metadata is similar, but usually more structured
 Conforms
 Machine
to set standards
readable
Introduction to research
data management

33. Make material understandable
What‟s obvious
now might not
be in a few
months, years,
decades…
MAKE SURE
YOU CAN
UNDERSTAND
IT LATER
Adapted from „Clay Tablets with Linear B Script‟ by Dennis, via Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/archer10/5692813531/
Slide adapted from
the PrePARe Project
Introduction to research
data management

34. Make material verifiable
Image by woodleywonderworks , via Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/4588700881/
• Detailing your methods
helps people
understand what you
did
• Reduces risk of
misinterpretation
• Helps make your work
reproducible
• Conclusions can be
verified
Slide adapted from
the PrePARe Project
Introduction to research
data management

35. Introduction to research
data management

36. Exercise

In small groups, look at the sample data sheet
 Imagine you have just downloaded this dataset from an
archive
 What contextual or explanatory information is missing?
 What additional documentation would you like to see
supplied

At the data level?

At the study level?
Introduction to research
data management

37. Documentation – what to include
• Who created it, when and why
•
•
•
•
Description of the item
Methodology and methods
Units of measurement
Definitions of jargon,
acronyms and code
• References to related data
Slide adapted from
the PrePARe Project
Introduction to research
data management

38. Metadata – data about data

A formal,
structured
description
of a dataset
 Used by
archives
to create
catalogue
records
Introduction to research
data management

39. ISA tools software suite
Open source
metadata
tracking tools
for the life
sciences
http://isa-tools.org/
Introduction to research
data management

40. Missing metadata – or the riddle of the
sixth toe



This painting shows
Georgiana, Duchess of
Devonshire as Diana
… or maybe Cynthia
She has six toes – but
no one knows why
Public domain image from Wikimedia Commons:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Georgiana_Cavendish,_Duchess_of_Devonshire_as_Diana.jpg
Introduction to research
data management

41. WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END
OF THE PROJECT?
Introduction to research
data management

42. Data archiving

Data generated during a research project is
valuable
 Don‟t leave it languishing on your hard drive
 Consider depositing it in an archive or repository
A
number of national disciplinary archives exist
 DataBib
 Oxford

provides a catalogue: http://databib.org/
will soon have its own data archive
If possible, make it available for others to re-use
Introduction to research
data management

43. Why share data? Reputation

Get credit for high quality
research
 Recognition for contribution
to research community
 Open data leads to increased
citations
 Of
the data itself
 Of
associated papers
Slide adapted from
the PrePARe Project
Introduction to research
data management

44. Why share data? Reuse

Reduces duplication of
effort
 Allows public research
funding to be used more
effectively
 Extend research beyond
your discipline
 Perhaps into contexts not
currently envisaged
Slide adapted from
the PrePARe Project
Introduction to research
data management

45. Why share data? Be a trailblazer!

A paradigm shift in how research outputs are
viewed is occurring
 Data outputs are of increasing importance –
and are likely to become even more so


Major journals are increasingly
looking to publish datasets
alongside articles
Be at the forefront of an
important shift in the
academic world
Introduction to research
data management

46. Figshare

Free online data sharing platform


Shared research is allocated a DataCite DOI
A possible alternative to conventional repositories

If no suitable
repository is
available

If you need a
data sharing
solution in a
hurry
Introduction to research
data management

47. Video by NYU Health Sciences Libraries: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2zK3sAtr-4
Introduction to research
data management

48. Data sharing – concerns

Ethical concerns
 Confidential

Legal concerns
 Third

or sensitive data
party data
Professional concerns
 Intended
publication
 Commercial
issues (e.g. patent protection)
Introduction to research
data management

49. Data sharing – concerns
• Redact or embargo if there is good reason
• Planning ahead can reduce difficulties
Slide adapted from
the PrePARe Project
Introduction to research
data management

50. Data licensing

A licence clarifies the conditions for accessing
and making use of a dataset
 User
knows what‟s allowed without asking further
permission
 Doesn‟t
exclude possibility of specific requests to
go beyond the terms of the licence

For databases, structure and content may be
covered by separate rights
Introduction to research
data management

51. Data licences - examples

Creative Common licences


Six different flavours, plus CC0 public domain dedication


Widely used and recognized
http://creativecommons.org/
Open Data Commons

Specifically designed for datasets

Recognizes the structure/content distinction

http://opendatacommons.org/
Introduction to research
data management

52. Data licensing - guidance

„How to License Research Data‟
A
guide from the Digital Curation Centre
http://www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/how-guides/license-research-data
Introduction to research
data management

53. DATA MANAGEMENT
PLANNING
Introduction to research
data management

54. Data management plans

A document which may be created in the early
stages of a project
 While
 An

planning, applying for funding, or setting up
initial plan may be expanded later
Details plans and expectations for data
 Nature
of data and its creation or acquisition
 Storage
and security
 Preservation
and sharing
Introduction to research
data management

55. Exercise

Using the resources available, have a go at
drafting a data management plan for your own
research
 If there are questions you can‟t answer at this
stage, make a note of
 What
you need to find out
 Decisions
you need to make
Introduction to research
data management

56. Digital Curation Centre

A national service
providing advice and
resources
 Create a data
management plan
using the DMP online
tool
http://www.dcc.ac.uk/
https://dmponline.dcc.ac.uk/
Introduction to research
data management

57. „In preparing for
battle, I have always
found that plans are
useless but planning
is indispensable.‟
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Introduction to research
data management

58. UNIVERSITY SERVICES
Introduction to research
data management

59. ORA-Data and DataFinder


Two forthcoming University of Oxford services
Launch date TBC
Introduction to research
data management

60. ORA-Data (formerly DataBank)


University of Oxford‟s institutional data archive
Long term preservation for datasets without another
natural home



Datasets will be assigned DOIs
Will work alongside ORA-Publications to form a
composite University archive


In some cases, may a suitable home for DPhil data
Possible to link publications and datasets in ORA
Depositors can opt to make datasets publicly available,
embargoed for a fixed period, or hidden
Introduction to research
data management

61. DataFinder

A catalogue of datasets


Will harvest metadata from ORA-Data and other
compatible data stores



Information on the nature, location, and availability of the data
So anything in ORA-Data will have a record in DataFinder
Researchers depositing data elsewhere strongly
encouraged to add a record to DataFinder
Should provide a substantial resource for researchers
seeking datasets for reuse
Introduction to research
data management

62. FURTHER INFORMATION AND
RESOURCES
Introduction to research
data management

63. Research data management website
Oxford‟s central
advisory website
 University policy
is available
 Questions?
Email
researchdata
@ox.ac.uk

http://researchdata.ox.ac.uk/
Introduction to research
data management

64. IT Services: Research Support Team

Can assist with technical aspects of research
projects at all stages of the project lifecycle
 Help
 But

with DMPs, selecting software or storage, etc.
the earlier you seek advice, the better
For more information, see our website:
http://research.it.ox.ac.uk
Introduction to research
data management

65. Research Data MANTRA

Free online
interactive
training modules
 Aimed at
postgraduates
and early career
researchers
http://datalib.edina.ac.uk/mantra/
Introduction to research
data management

66. Any questions?
Ask now, or email us on
researchdata@ox.ac.uk
Introduction to research
data management

67. Rights and re-use




This slideshow is part of a series of research data management
training resources prepared by the DaMaRO Project at the
University of Oxford
With the exception of clip art used with permission from Microsoft,
commercial logos and trademarks, and images credited to other
sources, the slideshow is made available under a Creative
Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share-Alike License
Parts of this slideshow draw on teaching materials produced by
the PrePARe Project, DATUM for Health, and DataTrain
Archaeology
Within the terms of this licence, we actively encourage sharing,
adaptation, and re-use of this material
Introduction to research
data management