Thoughts on how research data management can be developed as a core research skill, delivered as part of a workshop on history data management

1. Data management as a
history research skill
Chris Awre
History and data manageemnt – necessary bedfellows?
12 December 2013

2. Research skills
• Vitae
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Project planning
Ethics
Working collaboratively with others
Presenting your research
Publishing your research
Establishing networks
Intellectual property management
Public engagement
Leadership development
Data management
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3. SUDAMIH
• The SUDAMIH project at the University of Oxford
– Supporting Data Management Infrastructure for the
Humanities
• Identified that data management was ‘diverse and idiosyncratic’
– Little knowledge of support services
– Little training
• Analysis showed that training and support was most needed for
– Project set-up
– Data creation
– Managing local and institutional storage, and the link between
these
– Documenting the data
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4. Data management as a research skill
• Two ways of approaching data management as a skill
– As a researcher
– As a curator
• Neither approach can address the whole picture
• Neither approach is the ‘right’ approach
• It is most useful where these meet in the middle
– Recognises that data management as a skill is one that
benefits (requires?) working with others
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5. Digital curation
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6. Digital curation 101
• A series of generic training materials based around the
Digital Curation Lifecycle model
– http://www.dcc.ac.uk/training/train-the-trainer/dc-101training-materials
• Useful background and insights to a detailed analysis of the
stages of digital curation
– Non-subject specific
– Can be very detailed, and aimed primarily at support
services, e.g., Librarians, IT staff, etc.
• Digital curation as a career path
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7. DigCurV
• A European initiative to explore vocational training curricula
for digital curation
– Recognising the need to train people to both carry out
digital curation and develop it further
– Recognises that some disciplines have the role of ‘data
manager’, but that this role needs expanding
• A range of generic resources that can be used
– Includes Monopoly-style gameboard
– Good for raising awareness of relevant issues and and and
and associated skills to address them
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8. Non-digital curation
• Ironically, this does not have as high a profile as it maybe
should
– Focus on the ‘digital’ in this day and age
– Recognition that non-digital curation skills are well
established
• Although often a niche area of activity still
• The British Library Preservation Advisory Centre is an
excellent place to get advice on managing non-digital data
– E.g., documents, artefacts
– http://www.bl.uk/blpac/index.html
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9. Digital literacy
• SCONUL seven pillars of digital literacy
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10. Vitae RDF – Researcher Development Framework
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11. RDF and data management
• A1 – knowledgebase
– Research methods, practical applications
– Information literacy and management
• C2 – Research management
– Project management
– Professional conduct
– IPR management
• D2 – Communication and dissemination
– Open access
• http://www.rdfplanner.net/
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12. UK Data Archive
• National data centre for social sciences and humanities
– Also houses what used to be called the History Data
Service
– http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/
• Lots of useful advice on creating and managing data
– Also on working with them to archive the data
• An excellent source of data to inform your own research
where appropriate
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13. History DMT
• Recognises the existing initiatives
• Seeking to build on these, and highlight specific aspects
relevant to history research
• Many areas of data management are subject-agnostic
– Hence, non-history sources of advice and guidance can be
helpful
• History DMT as a route to developing you as researchers as
part of an overall development framework
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14. Thank you
Questions…?
c.awre@hull.ac.uk