‘DIY’ Research Data Management
Training Kit for Librarians
Stuart Macdonald
Associate Data Librarian
EDINA & Data Library
University of Edinburgh
DigCurV Conference - Framing the Digital Curation
Curriculum 7 May 2013, Florence, Italy

Background
• EDINA and University Data Library (EDL) together are a
division within Information Services of the University of
Edinburgh.
• EDINA is a JISC-funded National Data Centre providing
national online resources for education and research -
http://edina.ac.uk/
• The Data Library assists Edinburgh University users in
the discovery, access, use and management of
research datasets - http://www.ed.ac.uk/is/data-library

Context Research Data Management (RDM)
Policy passed by University Senate –
May 2011
Information Services (IS) has
committed to an RDM Roadmap over
a 24 month period starting summer
2013
The Roadmap is a cross-divisional
collaboration supported by:
◦ DCC
◦ EDINA & Data Library
◦ USD
◦ Library & Collections
◦ IT Infrastructure

The Roadmap will provide services
to implement the University’s RDM
Policy and will help to engage
researchers in RDM
• Data Management
Planning
• Active Data Infrastructure
• Data Stewardship

Work with academics to ensure that the library is
meeting teaching and research needs in their
respective subject areas
Promote information literacy
Feedback specific needs of colleges/schools into
library planning process
‘Upskilling’ Information professionals
IS staff need training to build confidence in engaging
in RDM activity and support.
Why liaison librarians?

Topics - agreed with
participants in advance
.
Data management planning
Documenting & organising
data
Data storage & security
Ethics & copyright
Data sharing
Inspired by Data Intelligence 4 Librarians but based
on MANTRA learning units
Training schedule and reflective questions sent out
1 week in advance

Course structure
2hr face-to-face sessions
•Facilitated by data librarians
•Invited guest speakers
•Talks followed by long discussions
•Interactive group exercises - based on UKDA
Train the Trainers materials
Homework exercises to reinforce
learning
•Reflective writing to think as a researcher
•MANTRA modules to work through in advance
of each session
•Independent study: interview a researcher

Small group, private setting, plenty of time
for discussion, sharing stories.
Emphasis on facilitation rather than
teaching; expert presence not necessary,
though useful for settling unanswered
questions.

Outcome
 A complete training package designed to contain
everything needed to complete a similar training
course on your own (in small groups) based on
open educational materials.
 Librarians are in control of their own training
(planned collaboratively) and therefore are
committed to learning.
 Reading at own pace, reflective writing,
background reading allow individuals to achieve
deeper understanding for given research field.
 Management commitment to roll out further
training based on results

Training kit contents:
Promotional slides & Training schedule
Research Data MANTRA online course
Reflective writing questions (PDF / Word)
Selected group exercises (with answers) from UK
Data Service - Train the trainer materials (PDF)
Podcasts for short talks by the original Edinburgh
speakers if running course without ‘live’ speakers
(Windows or Quicktime versions).
Presentation files (pptx)
Evaluation forms
Independent study assignment: Data Curation
Profile, from D2C2, Purdue University Libraries.
Resources available: http://datacura
All CC-BY licensed so please reuse!

Challenges  If commitment is only lightweight -
done as other work allows,
spread over 4 months, no
anticipation of job change - how
effective will the learning be?
 How and by whom should further
training be done - across IS
and/or with researchers?
 DCC/JISC MRD: Awareness of
other institutions’ progress may
help learners take on board
importance of RDM.

Acknowledgements
Colleagues: Robin Rice & Anne
Donnelly
Flickr image by Marc Home (CC BY 2.0) -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marc-horne-photography/7997553099/
Flickr image by nickwheeleroz (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickwheeleroz/3658481865//
Flickr image by josef.stuefer (CC BY 2.0) -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/josefstuefer/16495914/
Flickr image by Steve Snodgrass (CC BY 2.0) -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevensnodgrass/6865551805/
Flickr image by gavinzac(CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinzac/3872842318/
Flickr image by Pink Sherbert Photography (CC BY 2.0) –
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinksherbet/3962350955/
Flickr image by Rakka (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rakka/28994058/
Flickr image by Koalie (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/koalie/2262755414/
Flickr image by Copperdog ~ Diane (CC BY-SA 2.0) -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/79609634@N00/3439307901/
Flickr image by miss_rogue (CC BY-SA 2.0) -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/missrogue/115448854/
Flikcr image by publicdomain photos (CC BY 2.0) -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/public-domain-
photo/4251396814/
Flickr image by DougfromSPACE (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sterlingely/4128225/

END!
Thanks
Contact:
Stuart.Macdonald@ed.ac.uk
MANTRA:
http://datalib.edina.ac.uk/mantra/
DIY RDM Training Kit for Librarians
http://datalib.edina.ac.uk/mantra/libtraining.html/
Edinburgh Univ. Research Data Policy -
http://tinyurl.com/6jnllft
Edinburgh University RDM Roadmap
http://tinyurl.com/coe4f2o