Using a behavioral framework to understand researchers data management practices. Kylie Poulton Presented at Brisbane: Train the (data skills) trainer Dec 6th 2017

1. Kylie Poulton
@kylie_poulton
Using a behavioural
Framework to Understand
Researchers’ Data
Management Practices

2. Source: Wolski M and Richardson J (2015) Improving data management practices of researchers by using a behavioural
framework. THETA 2015 Create, Connect, Consume, Gold Coast, Queensland, 10-13 May 2015. Australia: CAUDIT
Attitude
Capability
Motivation
Opportunity
Behaviour
The Framework
A-COM-B

3. Researchers’ Data Management
Practices
Phase One

4. Daily
46%
Weekly
9%
Monthly
9%
Rarely
18%
Other
18%
Frequency of data backup? Data management planning?
DropBox 75%
Griffith’s Research
Storage Services 8%
DropBox vs. Research StorageWhat do you use to manage data?
DropBox
Hard Drive
Google Drive
75%
75%
41%
Phase One Results

5. Practioner’s Toolkit

6. STEM
Social Sciences
Creative Arts
Humanities
HDR/ECR
Mid/Late Career
Quantitative
Qualitative
Other
Mixed Methods
Practitioner’s Toolkit

7. STEM
Social Sciences
Creative Arts
Humanities
HDR/ECR
Mid/Late Career
Quantitative
Qualitative
Other
Mixed Methods
Practitioner’s Toolkit

8. Consider this:
Researchers tend to use data management tools they are familiar with and are easy to use, for example DropBox.
They may not consider their data important or large enough to warrant good data management practices and they are
also unlikely to think their data would be of interest or re-usable by other researchers. They may be concerned that by
sharing data, other researchers might use the data to publish ahead of them. They may also be concerned they will
breach ethical standards by sharing data.
Suggested strategies and discussion points:
 Target the researcher’s attitude that “easy to use” is the best reason to choose a product. Instead try encouraging
them to use Griffith’s research storage solutions, by highlighting the advantages that it is secure, relative similar to
DropBox in its ease of use and ability to collaborate.
 Suggest that they might want to re-use their own data and good data management practices will enable that
 Explain that data doesn’t need to be made open, but FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable).
Researchers will most likely re-use the data themselves, so by ensuring their data is FAIR, they will benefit most.
 By considering data management at the outset of a project, permission to share or deposit data in a repository can
be sought from research participants.
 Data can be anonymised before being deposited in a repository and access to it can be mediated.
 They can mint a DOI for their dataset and request that all re-users of their data cite their datasets appropriately,
using the DataCite standard.
Attitude Capability Opportunity Motivation Behaviour
Practitioner’s Toolkit
Familiar
Easy to use
Not of interest
to others
May not be best
reason to choose
Re-use their
own data

9. Consider this:
You cannot assume with any stages in the career profile of a researcher, a level of comfort or otherwise with
technology. However a mid to late career researcher may have set habits that may be hard to influence.
The researcher may deal largely with paper based surveys.
The researcher is unlikely to have a large amount of data.
Suggested strategies and discussion points:
 Offer to work with the research assistant or junior researcher who has been given the responsibility of managing the
data.
 Offer training and support in data management planning and in the use of institutional tools such as Research
Storage Service, preferably at the outset of a research project.
 Assist them to make decisions on how data is stored, shared, archived or destroyed.
 Suggest appropriate repositories for their data at the completion of their project and assist them to understand the
requirements of the repositories.
 Discuss data archiving and preservation.
 Offer training and support in cleaning data, creating data documentation, codebooks, and metadata.
Attitude Capability Opportunity Motivation Behaviour
Practitioner’s Toolkit
Set in their
habits
Work with RA or
junior researcher

10. Consider this:
The researcher may not have had the opportunity to decide how data is managed if they are part of a larger project.
However, if the research project is at its inception then this is a good opportunity to establish good data management
practices to provide them with advice and guidance.
Time constraints and a lack of resources, skills, tools and/or money may be reasons that researchers do not pursue
good data management practices.
Mid to late career researchers may have the opportunity to influence data management practices in a research project
as they are more likely to be a senior or principal investigator.
Suggested strategies and discussion points:
 Suggest that as principal investigator or a lead researcher, they champion good data management practices.
 Discuss how establishing clear and uniform collaborative data management guidelines can prevent the corruption
or mishandling of data
 Discuss how spending time planning data management at the outset of a research project can save time and
resources later, by circumventing complications with data quality and integrity.
 Suggest that researchers consider the resources required to manage their data at the outset of a research project in
order to factor in financial and staffing costs.
 Offer training and support in tools, software and standards to remove the barriers to good data management.
 If the researcher tasks a research assistant (RA) with data management, suggest that you meet with the RA to
develop good data management practices for the research project.
Attitude Capability Opportunity Motivation Behaviour
Practitioner’s Toolkit
Time constraints
Lack of resources, skills, etc.
Planning at outset can save
time, resources, etc.
Offer training and support

11. Consider this:
Mandated or recommended guidelines from funding bodies may motivate researchers to practice better data
management. A number of journals now have policies that state the underlying data from a journal article, must be
made available to other researchers on request and/or stored in a data repository. Data security is a big motivator.
Researchers may also be motivated by wanting to do the “right thing”.
The researcher may not be prepared to change their data management practices unless mandated.
Suggested strategies and discussion points:
 Discuss data how good data management practices, including naming conventions, file formats, documentation,
metadata, back-up, storage and security can help preserve data for re-use by the researcher and their team.
 Assist the researcher to interpret journal and funder data requirements.
 Assist the researcher to identify and appropriate repository or data storage solution to fulfil journal or funder
mandates and assist in curating of data for deposit.
 Discuss data security and assist them in ensuring they develop systems, workflows and standards to keep their
data safe. This might be a good opportunity to discuss the benefits of institutional storage solutions.
Attitude Capability Opportunity Motivation Behaviour
Practitioner’s Toolkit
Data Security
Benefits of
institutional
storage solutions
Systems, workflows,
standards to keep
data safe

12. Consider this:
Behaviour is the result of the interaction between the four elements. By addressing attitude, capability, opportunity and
motivation, you may be able to influence behavioural change.
Enacting a behaviour can also alter capability, motivation and opportunity.
It may not be possible to change or influence a researcher’s data management behaviour!
Suggested strategies and discussion points:
 Identify the researcher’s data management behaviours and identify what needs to change.
 Consider the researcher’s behaviour through the elements of attitude, capability, opportunity and motivation.
 Identify aspects of attitude, capability, opportunity and motivation you can influence
Attitude Capability Opportunity Motivation Behaviour
Practitioner’s Toolkit
Addressing A-COM
may influence
behavioural change
What A-COM can
you influence?

13. Researchers’ Data Management
Practices: Guidelines

14. Set up
• Set up a Project Folder in Research Space
• Login: research-space.griffith.edu.au
• Request project space
• Add team members and collaborators
• Assign responsibility for record keeping
Process
• Decide on your group's procedures for:
• Naming files
• Tracking versions
• Describing data files (metadata)
• Saving and backing up files and data
Finish
• At the end of the project:
• How long does the data need to be kept for?
• Will the data be shared? Add to Griffith’s Research Data
Repository
• Who will be the Griffith contact person for this data?