A good example of advanced thinking

Potential Research Data Repository data-management use-cases

The milestones researchers think about—grant applications, awards, data capture, data analysis, interim-report writing, article authoring, renewal applications, and so forth—barely appear in data-management models.

http://gavialib.com/2012/08/data-lifecycles-versus-research-lifecycles/ 

Our friends and colleagues at University of Western Sydney are working on three ANDS funded projects almost concurrently.
Not only are they doing a Seeding the Commons project, but this is interlinked with a Data Capture project and a Metadata Stores project also.

This has afforded UWS the opportunity to do what we in ANDS call "joined up thinking". They have very neatly and graphically captured and published their ideas and outcomes via their eResearch blog.

This post captures and describes some very good thinking on work flows and provides clear examples of what is possible and what effort is required.

Highly recommended reading :-)

Engaging researchers + an open letter about the value of sharing data

This is a link to the Metadata Stores blog where I've posted the clever strategy for engaging researchers at UWS.

You may have already seen this open letter to Professor Aidan Byrne, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Research Council about the importance of sharing data.

What is a collection?

As a follow up to Simon's excellent presentation. 

You can find a summary information in this blog under the subject heading Data Collections

As Simon said, there's a lot of good informative stuff ready for you to absorb. With links to exemplar collections in Research Data Australia

An introduction to RIF-CS (part 1)

Why do we use RIF-CS?

The Australian Research Data Commons can be understood as part of a network of registries that support the development of useful services for innovation and research. An example of a registry is Research Data Australia.

The description of research data and other scholarly materials is best done locally - close to where it is created. But search and discovery is best done globally.

The Australian National Data Service (ANDS) aggregates a pool of records using the Online Research Collections Australia (ORCA) interface. This aggregation is performed using the OAI Protocol for Metadata Harvesting. The elements of these descriptions (metadata) are standardised so that machines can understand what these records are about.

What is a RIF-CS record?

A component of the metadata standard (ISO2146), used for exchanging information about collections, is called the Registry Interchange Format - Collections and Services (RIF-CS).

RIF-CS is a template in the form of an XML schema that sets out the structure of the information, what can be included and how one part relates to another. RIF-CS is maintained by the RIF-CS Advisory Board (RAB).

There are no hard and fast rules about what constitutes a Collection in the RIF-CS Schema context. It is up to the data providers to consider what their collections are and what metadata should be provided. The RIF-CS schema also supports other registry object types, namely: Services, Activities and Parties. Any or all of these, along with their relations to each other, are able to be expressed in RIF-CS format.

How to create a RIF-CS Collection record?

Step 1. Nominate a Data Source Administrator and set up a Data Source Account.

There are two Forms to send to services@ands.org.au. Please contact your ANDS Liaison Officer when using these Forms, so that you receive the latest guidance specific to your project.

Form 1. ANDS Online Services Access Request Form - to add a new Data Source Administrator

Form 2. Providing metadata to ANDS agreement

ANDS Services will create a Data Source Account for you. After logging in and selecting your data source, you will see a view screen or Dashboard that displays your current settings

Data Source Dashboard

Step 2. Map your data collection

While you are waiting for Data Source Administration set up (usually happens in a day), locate a collection of research data. You may find it helpful if you map information about this collection to the RIF-CS elements and attributes.

A handy reference to what these are; what is required and recommended is the Content Requirements Guide. It's not obvious at first glance but scroll down and you will find a usualy mapping template in the tables.

Content Requirements Guide

Step 3. Log-in to ORCA

Go to the bottom right of the Research Data Australia screen and press the link to ANDS Online Services. This will take you to the Log-in page. You will find detailed login instructions on the ANDS website.

Where to log-in

Using your AAF token

The ANDS Registry is open to all Australian researchers who have valid Australian Access Federation (AAF) accounts. Such researchers do not need any additional credentials to access the ANDS Registry. If you do not know if you have an Australian Access Federation (AAF) token, you will find detailed instructions for how to get AAF Accounts on the ANDS Website.

Once logged in, different options are available through the menu on the left, depending on you role or the level of access given to your account.

Creating a record

Your guide to what terms mean and how they can understood is The Content providers Guide

Seeding the Commons on the Sunshine Coast - an interview with Beth Crawter

For your interest, Beth has graciously consented to making this short (3 minute) video available.

Research Data Management, 2 recent UK blogs

In the UK JISC is supporting the JISC Transformations Programme

Two projects, at York and at Leicester, are using outputs from the JISC Managing Research Data programme and elsewhere.

Both projects have started blogging their progress here are the project details.

University of York, Tools for RDM Development

The project intends to use existing tools to look at policies, processes and systems for managing Research Data at the University of York. The reasons we're doing this are:

1. To improve research collaboration, dissemination and knowledge sharing
2. To support researchers at the University, by providing policies and guidance to help them when bidding for research and handling research data
3. To allow us to meet the requirements of funding bodies

All of the above should help increase efficiencies, as it will provide standard tools and guidance for researchers to use.

University of York, Tools for RDM Development: http://uoy-rdmproject.blogspot.co.uk/

University of Leicester, RDM Support Service

The current priority with the project is working with the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research on agreeing a number of pretty urgent RDM deliverables needed by the University.  At the top of the list is creating a definitive University RDM web presence in time for the opening of term – 1st October.

This will be a case of,

1. Establishing the site to raise researcher awareness of RDM and the University’s developing approach to it,
2. Pulling together/signposting current resources and support available in various parts of the Universtity,
3. Referring (linking) to a host of existing good quality external resources.

The aim therefore is to have an initial early presence, and then to look at a good deal of refinement and development.

University of Leicester, RDM Support Service: http://amburnham.jiscinvolve.org/wp/

Here is a suggested structure for your own Research Data Management intranet site or blog