The ANU Data Commons project aims to build a research data management solution and data repository at ANU. It will allow researchers to store, find, share, search, and reuse their research data. The repository will use standard technologies like Fedora Commons and enable self-deposit of data and metadata. It seeks to address the increasing need to make research data available to support publications, as required by funders like the US NSF. When complete, it will help researchers securely deposit existing and new data to ensure preservation and reuse.

1. The ANU Data Commons
enabling e-research

2. What does it mean
● Building a solution to store research data
● data can be looked after
● found again and shared
● searched for
● can be reused
● a research data management solution aka a data repository

3. But don't we have a repository already?
We do.
The digital collections site allows researchers to deposit copies of journal
papers. The current project aims to do the same for research data.
Each dataset will have a unique and persistent identifier as an aid to
citation.

4. Yes but why ?
Increasingly researchers overseas are being required to make their data
available in order to support their mainstream publications.
In the US the NSF now requires researchers to submit a data
management plan as part of their grant submission.
In the UK, JISC is funding a range of initiatives to build a set of data
archives both within institutions and across disciplines

5. The Galathea story ...
A research Institute in Denmark mounted a set of three
oceanographic surveys, in 1845, 1950 and 2007.
We stiil have all the 1845 and 1950 data as it was written in
paper lab books
Most of the 2007 data has been lost as it was stored on
people's laptops, not in a central archive ...

6. The ANU Data Commons
Aim is to put in place the building blocks of a data management strategy
for the ANU
● A repository
○ based on fedora-commons
○ uses standard technologies
● A supporting policy framework

7. The ANU Data Commons
● Built on the back of two ANDS funded projects
○ Seeding the Commons
■ Identify existing datasets, including orphan and legacy datasets
and publish descriptions of them in Research Data Australia
■ Descriptions effectively electronic catalogue cards
○ Data Capture
■ Build workflows and mechanisms in Earth Sciences, Optical
Astronomy, Phenomics, and Digital Humanities to capture
research data as it is generated and publish it

8. Seeding the Commons
Aim to be as self service as possible - built around concept of self deposit:
● user identifies themselves (logs in)
● creates a project description as free text and other informaton
● uploads data (aim is to be as simple as YouTube or Flickr)
● record is published to Research Data Australia
● data can be searched for and found again
Dataset owners can modify object they have created, for example to add a
second results file from a re run of a particular experiment.

9. Data Capture Deposit model
Aim to be as self service as possible - set up automated capture
mechanisms for instruments and at the same time leverage off Seeding
the Commons architecture
● User creates a project
● Enters information about the project including links to related
documents
● Uploads data
● Publishes data
Dataset owners can modify object they have created, for example to add a
second results file from a re run of a particular experiment.

10. Data Capture
Basically more of the same
● data goes to short term store
● is processed
● is uploaded
and it can be automated via
a quasi drop box solution !

11. Data Capture - not just data
Data needs context.
Context is metadata, and includes things like the instrument
configuration, settings and so on.
Some formats eg WAV for audio and FITS contain a lot of
this information in the file by default - embedded metadata

12. What does it mean for me?
● Able to deposit existing research data sets
○ know that they are stored securely
○ can be read again - immune to format and media changes
○ most important - can be reused
Access can be
● Open - anyone can download and access it
● Embargoed - access is restricted until a particular date
● Restricted - people have to ask to access the data. Valid reasons
include cultural, ethical and commercial issues

13. OK I like this - can I use it?
Not yet....
today we have an internal alpha (soon to be beta) solution
● can create object record
● import object to repository
● search for object in repository
● create collection record in RDA
Aim is to have public beta mid 2012
Aim to also publish collection records to other discipline specific
repositories where appropriate

14. I have some data ...
If you have some data you would be interested in depositing please email
me - we'd be interested.
doug.moncur@anu.edu.au
(We can also talk about legacy format conversion if that helps)

15. These projects are supported by the Australian National Data Service
(ANDS)
ANDS is supported by the Australian Government through the National
Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy Program and the Education
Investment Fund (EIF) Super Science Initiative

16. Thank you !