A presentation given to a Department of History staff development event on the History DMP project

1. History DMP
Chris Awre and Richard Green
Department of History Staff Development event, 18 January 2012

2. History DMP
• JISC-funded project
– October 2011 – March 2012
• Aim to develop a data management plan for use within the
Department
– Explore technical options for putting this into practice
locally
– Develop case studies as exemplars of how such a data
management plan might be used
• Partnership between History and Library and Learning
Innovation
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3. History and data
• There is a lot of data in History research, e.g.,
– Transatlantic slave database
– History of marine animal populations (HMAP)
– UK economic statistics 1066 – present
– Biographical detail of officers in the German armed forces
in the 17th and 18th centuries
• Simply holding this for the research requires some level of
management
• Data Curation Centre – “because good research needs good
data”
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4. Why manage data?
• Data as research output
– Data itself can be a valid research output and needs to be
well managed for presentation and assessment
• Transparency of research
– Good data management allows process of research to be
transparent, adding validity and integrity
• Data security and accuracy
– Data management is not just for outputs, but can support
research practice itself
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5. Data Management Plan
• A set of questions, with associated guidance
– Presentation options to be determined
• Addresses issues such as:
– Roles and responsibilities
– Documentation and metadata
– Formatting
– Storing
– Legal aspects
• Ethics, consent, copyright
– Sharing
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6. Why a data management plan?
• DMPs are a way of supporting data management throughout the
research process
• Applying for grants
– Many funders now require a statement of how data generated
will be managed
• During research
– A DMP can help inform how data generated or gathered can be
best managed
• Disseminating research
– A DMP can guide how data can be shared where appropriate, to
increase its value and meet funder requirements
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7. DMP and research
• The DMP is an aid to supporting the management of data
– It does not cover the collection of data
• The DMP is a tool that can support data education and
training
– A component of wider activity
• DMPs can be applied at individual, project, departmental, or
institutional level
– History DMP is focused on a departmental DMP
• This can then be adapted as required
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8. Gathering requirements
• It is essential that the DMP is informed by the data management
requirements that exist within the Department
• Gathering input via
– Interviews
– Focus groups (of which there is one today)
– Steering Group (involving David and Peter)
• Thank you to all who have given your time
• Evidence collected suggests
– Data management is needed, and does take place
– There is a wide variety of data types and formats within the
Department
– Guidance on options would be welcome
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9. History DMP timetable
• Focus group today
– All welcome
• Development of draft data management plan
– Input welcome to provide feedback as we go along
• Technical development
– Enhancing local Hydra repository to better manage
datasets
• Case studies
– Specific case studies identified, though others willing to
apply the DMP as a case study are welcome
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10. Thank you
• Contacts
• Chris Awre (Head of Information Management, LLI)
– c.awre@hull.ac.uk
• Richard Green (Project Manager)
– r.green@hull.ac.uk
• John Nicholls (Project Officer)
– j.nicholls@hull.ac.uk
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12. History DMP focus group
• Thank you for your time
• Your input will make the data management plan as useful as
it can be for you and the Department
• We have a set of prompt questions, but…
– Please take the discussion where you think it needs to go
• We will run for no more than an hour
– Unless you’d like to pursue the discussion!
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13. Question
• What sort of data does your research give rise to?
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14. Question
• What have you done with your data that has worked well for
you in managing it?
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15. Question
• What requirements are you addressing with your data
currently?
– Funder?
– Institutional?
– Research community?
– …
• What issues have you encountered in seeking to meet these
requirements?
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16. Question
• What are the current prospects for your data?
• What would you like to be able to do with your data?
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17. Question
• How might a data management plan assist you in your
research?
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18. Question
• How would you find it easiest to engage with a data
management plan
– Format?
– Coverage?
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