Strategic Planning, Research Data Services

Topic:

Expand research data services and accompanying education initiatives, focusing on data curation, use, and dissemination.

Themes:

Instruction

  • Need macro (e.g. “data & you”) as well as micro (instruction about curating specific data formats) for scholars

Training

  • For data management to become a “household term” in Library units, staff need incentives and “release time” for data management & curation training
  • Subject liaisons and staff who work with scholars are the best connection to scholars in their domain(s), and can start working with them early on to integrate curation into the data lifecycle (a bonus for all)
  • What skills are important:  Staff with an interest in data; functional expertise in metadata; specific formats like media, LIDAR, genomics data.

Outreach

  • It’s important for data curation & management support to appear readily accessible to Library staff & researchers—appointment model with a specific person (like UGL) may strengthen reach
  • Flip side—need to be able to identify staff throughout the Library with deep skills to enhance RDS services.
  • Identify experts in community who can support big data curation needs—e.g., Mike Folke & HDF Group @ Research Park

Stakeholders (Groups):

Office of Research (RDS, SC), User Services

Hiring Plan Impact:

Immediate (0-1 yrs.):  Engineering Data Curation Specialist (on hold, funding from COE)

Adjacencies with other Topical Areas:

  • Support Research Groups
  • Scholarly Communications
  • Experts
  • Outreach
  • Education & Training
  • Organizational Culture