Project
Research Data Collections Project
Title
Information sheet
Version
1.0
Date effective
5 November 2010
Last updated
5 November 2010
Scope note
Provides a high-level non-technical description of the project
and background information about ANDS and Research Data
Australia.
Authorship
Research Data Collections Project Team
Contact
URL: http://www.researchdata.monash.edu/collections-project/
Email: researchdata@monash.edu
Licensing
This document is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
Project
This project is supported by the Australian National Data
acknowledgement Service (ANDS) through the National Collaborative Research
Infrastructure Strategy Program and by Monash University
Library.
Research Data Collections Project
Information Sheet
The Research Data Collections Project is located within Monash University Library. The project was
funded by the Australian National Data Service (ANDS) in April 2010 and will be complete by June 2011.
What the project will do
The project’s aim is to make data collections from selected publicly funded research projects
discoverable and, where possible, accessible. These aims will be met by contributing information to
Research Data Australia, a set of web pages that describe (and, where possible, link to) Australian
research data collections.
Monash University research data collections currently on Research Data Australia:
http://services.ands.org.au/home/orca/rda/list.php?group=Monash+University
Project staff will identify and locate research data collections that meet defined criteria and will gather
information about the collections through interviews with researchers. Project staff will add catalogue
records for the collections to the Monash University ARROW Repository. The Australian National Data
Service will automatically ‘harvest’ Monash University’s collection records and provide these through the
Research Data Australia website.
Identify and locate
research data collections that
meet the project criteria e.g.
Category 1 funded research
Recently completed projects
Led by Monash University
Other criteria tbc
Gather information
about research data
collections from the
researchers
Catalogue
the research data collections
in the Monash University
ARROW Repository
Assign permanent
reference number
to facilitate citation
Register
Monash University data
collections with the Australian
National Data Service records are made available
through Research Data
Australia
The project team may also undertake work to improve the accessibility of data collections. In conjunction
with researchers, the project team will assess options for depositing data into trusted Monash University
repositories or data stores, and where possible, making them accessible. The decision to undertake this
additional work will be made on a case-by-case basis, depending upon the nature of the data (including
relevant legal and ethical requirements) and the work needed to improve data storage and access.
Projected outcomes of the project
Increased research impact and collaboration opportunities for researchers and for the institution
Research data that is discoverable, citable and able to be re-used by researchers and other groups (e.g.
practitioners from industry, government and the non-profit sector secondary education) will raise the
research profile of Monash researchers.
Improved research efficiency, return on public investment and community engagement
Improved discoverability and accessibility of data reduces the risk of research being duplicated. The
results of publicly funded research can be made available to a much broader audience, including
professional groups that require an evidence base for policy and decision-making, community groups,
and interested members of the general public.
Greater compliance with legislation and guidelines
Identifying, locating, storing and registering data are all activities identified in the Australian Code for
Responsible Conduct of Research as good practice. Funding guidelines from ARC and NHMRC
increasingly expect researchers to demonstrate good data planning and encourage researchers to
deposit research data into trusted repositories.
More effective support services for researchers
The Library will gain a better understanding of the data management issues faced by researchers.
Lessons learned from the project will inform the planning of services in the Library and other areas of the
University that support development of technical infrastructure and programs of outreach and training.
About the Australian National Data Service (ANDS) and Research Data Australia
ANDS is funded by the Australian Government Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and
Research through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) and the
Education Investment Fund (EIF) under the Super Science Initiative.
Monash University is the lead agency for ANDS, and along with the Australian National University and
CSIRO, is responsible for creating research data infrastructure, capturing descriptions of Australia’s
research data, and building Australia’s research data management capability.
More about ANDS: http://www.ands.org.au
In addition to taking a national role in the establishment and development of ANDS, Monash University is
an institutional partner in ANDS initiatives such as Research Data Australia.
Research Data Australia is a new website that will enable the discovery of and access to research data
held in Australian universities, publicly funded research agencies and government organisations. The
website and the activities underlying it, will enable Australia’s research data as a whole to become a
nationally strategic resource that can be used more effectively.
More about Research Data Australia: http://services.ands.org.au/home/orca/rda/about.php
Monash University on Research Data Australia:
http://services.ands.org.au/home/orca/rda/list.php?group=Monash+University
For more information
Contact a member of the project team researchdata@lib.monash.edu.au or ext. 52080.