Extending Organisational Profile Document (OPD) to consistently list hard and ‘soft’ RDM infrastructure components and make them visible, machine readable, discoverable

1. Extending the OPD to cover RDM
Joy Davidson, DCC
Adrian Cox, Equipment.data at University of Southampton
Masud Khokhar, Lancaster University (test case)

2. Challenge
• Not easy currently to see what RDM
infrastructure is in place in HEIs without arduous
manual searching
Who needs to know?
• Staff (join up, signposting, strategic planning)
• Peers (regional partnerships, knowledge transfer)
• Funding bodies (compliance)

3. Possible solution
• Extend Organisational Profile Document (OPD)
to consistently list hard and ‘soft’ RDM
infrastructure components and make them
visible, machine readable, discoverable.

4. What is OPD
• RDF file developed to help HEIs meet EPSRC mandate
about exposing information on research equipment
bought with public funds
• 41 HEIs have them so far - including several of the MRD
projects
• Small set of mandatory fields to be completed, lots of
optional info can be captured using LinkingYou
vocabulary (Lincoln)
• Auto-discoverable
http://opd.data.ac.uk/org/1182ab5d89685ed95ee503d8
d656d169/university_of_southampton.html

5. Why it could work
• Builds upon existing infrastructure
• Easy to implement solution
• HEIs can update and maintain profile locally
• Profiles made visible by Equipment.data

6. Action points and milestones
• Distil draft list of RDM infrastructure
components using LinkingYou vocabulary and
CARDIO; recommend new terms as required
(M2)
• DCC webinar to share these and run period of
public consultation (M2)
• Test with 3 HEIs (M3)
• Release of guidance for other HEIs (M3)

7. Action points and milestones
• Work with CASRAI UK group to have RDM
infrastructure profile taken forward as possible
standard (M4)
• Work to engage and support HEIs to make use of
extended OPD as they embark on EPSRC self
assessment (M4-M8)
• Workshop on future potential of profile to share
and compare information on costs, challenges of
compliance, shared services, analytics (M8)
• Recommendations from workshop (M9)

8. Expected early impact
• Easier for staff within HEIs to see at a glance
what infrastructure is in place without long
search process
• Easier for UK HEIs to benefit from peers
supported through Jisc MRD programme
• Easier for HEIs to be transparent about self
asessment and for funding bodies to see
progress toward compliance

9. Longer term potential
• Develop CASRAI standard on RDM OPD
• Easier for HEIs to collect and share evidence of
infrastructure costs and performance
• Possible value as audit tool for funders (EPSRC
and others as RCUK harmonisation efforts
continue)
• Seek international uptake (H2020)

10. Sustainability
• HEIs maintain and update OPD locally
• Data.equipment support for OPD ongoing
• DCC can continue to support HEIs in
developing and using their OPS as part of core
nstitutional support

11. Time and money needed
• 9 months
• £30k (£7.5k required for first three months)