This document discusses how data is driving decisions in research. It notes that the amount of data being generated is growing exponentially and researchers are now in the data business. It outlines four transformations needed - from unmanaged to managed data, disconnected to connected data, invisible to findable data, and single-use to reusable data. National strategies in Australia are aiming to support these transformations through initiatives like the Australian National Data Service which provides resources and expertise to help researchers manage, connect, and enable reuse of research data.

1. Data
Drives
Decisions
Dr Andrew Treloar, Director of
Technology
1CC-BY @atreloar

2. Outline
 Research is changing
 We are all in the data business
 National responses
 Four Transformations
 Institutional responses
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3. CC-BY-NC-SA https://secure.flickr.com/photos/nowpicnic/2182152599/ 3

4. LHC output from 2009-2013
= 100PB
(www.symmetrymagazine.org/article/february-
2013/achievement-unlocked-100-petabytes-of-data)
@atreloar

5. Long-tail data
CC-BY @atreloar 5
Size
Number

6. Lee Berger and Australopithecus sediba
6Lee Berger Google Talk: The Skull in the Rock

7. Photo CC-BY www.flickr.com/photos/dgjones/7031731377/
7

8. What Business are we in?
Theodore Levitt, The Changing Character of Capitalism,
Harvard Business Review, July–August 1956
“The railroads did not stop growing because the need for
passenger and freight transportation declined. That grew.
The railroads are in trouble today not because that need was
filled by others (cars, trucks, airplanes, and even telephones)
but because it was not filled by the railroads themselves.
They let others take customers away from them because
they assumed themselves to be in the railroad business
rather than in the transportation business.”
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9. Photo CC-BY www.flickr.com/photos/jerryjohn/63351338/
CC-BY @atreloar 9

10. Photo CC-BY www.flickr.com/photos/stiefkind/6454784607/
CC-BY @atreloar 10

11. Photo CC-BY www.flickr.com/photos/torkildr/3462607995/
CC-BY @atreloar 11

12. CC-BY @atreloar 12

13. 2012 National Research
Investment Plan
 http://www.innovation.gov.
au/Research/Documents/N
ationalResearchInvestment
Plan.pdf
CC-BY @atreloar 13

14. 2011 Strategic Roadmap for
Australian Research
Infrastructure
CC-BY @atreloar 14
 http://www.innovation.gov.
au/Science/Documents/201
1StrategicRoadmapforAustr
alianResearchInfrastructure
.pdf

15. Australian Research Data Infrastructure
Strategy
 Being developed by Research Data Infrastructure
Committee
 Consultation process currently underway
 Refer http://ands.org.au/newsletters/newsletter-
2012-14.pdf, p. 7 for more
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16. ANDS enables transformation of:
Data that are:
Unmanaged
Disconnected
Invisible
Single use
To Structured Collections that are:
Managed
Connected
Findable
Reusable
so that Australian researchers can easily publish,
discover, access and use/re-use research data.
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17. Institutional Response:
Unmanaged -> Managed
 Policy
 ANDS Frameworks
 Storage
 RDSI
 Capture
 ANDS Data Capture
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18. Institutional Response:
Disconnected-> Connected
 Metadata Store
 ANDS Metadata Stores
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19. Institutional Response:
Invisible -> Findable
 Research Data Australia
 researchdata.ands.org.au
CC-BY @atreloar 19

20. Institutional Response:
Single use -> Reusable
 Right Access
 Right License
 Right Tools
 Right Location
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21. ANDS is here to help
 We are moving from funding projects to providing
expertise and (some) effort
 New model of institutional engagement for
remainder of current funding period
 We want to hear about your research data
ambitions and talk about how we can help
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22. Questions?
 andrew.treloar@ands.org.au
 http://www.slideshare.net/atreloar/data-drives-
decisions-22950563
 @atreloar
22CC-BY @atreloar