Designing Data
Resources:
Tools for the provision of interactive research data
management workshops
IDCC13 Workshop, Amsterdam
Designing Data Management
Training at the University of Bath
Catherine Pink
Data Scientist, Research360
Jez Cope
Technical Data Coordinator, Research360
University of Bath
A leading UK research university
>15,000 students & 2,500 staff.
Applied science and engineering research focus
‘Small Science’ in collaboration with industry
Research360
18-month Jisc-funded project
Developing human and technical infrastructure for research data
management
Focused on Faculties of Science and Engineering
Piloting resources in the CSCT Doctoral Training Centre
The next 45 minutes
Structured around some of our training workshops
Content modified for IDCC13
 Interactive survey
• Format modified for IDCC
 Presentation
• How we’ve developed our workshops and what they contain
 Exercise
• Data management planning
Before we start: Clicker exercise
What we did
• Multiple choice questions asked at start and end of each session
Why it worked
• Simple activity with clear instructions (hard to get wrong!?)
• “Safe” for students – they can compare their knowledge/opinions to
the group without being singled out
• Students engaged with the material from the start
• Catalyses learning by encouraging reflection
Before we start: Clicker exercise
How we did it
• TurningPoint Audience Response
System (ARS)
• Simple voting system for classroom use
• Provided by the University’s e-learning team
• Today we will use PollEverywhere.com instead
How to vote
Laptop, tablet or smartphone:
• Go to pollev.com/r360
• Use the buttons there
Mobile phone:
• Send text message to +447624806527
• Codes for each option will appear on the slides
• Normal network charges apply (UK mobile number)
What training did Bath already provide?
 Single annual data management presentation for postgraduate
students
 Responsibility for delivery passed between senior academics
 Content based on external resources (M.I.T)
 Content not customised to the University or recently updated
• Focus on why, not how, to manage data
2011: Poor understanding of data
management despite some training
2012: Highlighted main risks of poor data
management
What did we start to do
• Re-designed workshop from scratch, including original content and
external training resources e.g. DataTrain, MANTRA
• Focused on generic data management with
achievable solutions we that can already provide
• Aimed at researchers - postgraduate students & academics
• Delivered by data management experts from Research360 project
• Tested new content on our pilot
group of research students
• Observers to capture all comments
/questions to help with development
Style & Format – several approaches tried
Hands-on
workshop
Lecture-style
workshop
Interactive
workshop
• Needs structured exercises to develop skills as well
as discussion
• Early career researchers are used to lectures and
favour this format for gathering new information
• Researchers prefer content (how, what, where) to
‘soft’ skills learning
• Scientists like talking about data management, but
won’t consider it a worthwhile use of their time
Structure of content based on data lifecycle
Definitions
Preservation
& Re-use
• Archive
• File formats for long
term preservation
Publication & Deposit
• Data sharing
requirements
• Restrictions on data
sharing
• How to share data
Documentation
• Contextual data
• Metadata
Data management
plans
Create
• Data Types
• Responsibilities
Active Use
• Storage & Security
• Back up options
• Organising data
• File names &
versioning
2 hours – How much can you cover?
• Limited time to cover a large and complex subject
• Provide links to further information
Key Content
Raise awareness
of their
responsibilities
Try to prevent
worst data
management
mistakes
•
•
•
•
Funders requirements
University codes / policy / procedures
Requirements to share data
Requirements to write Data Management Plans
• Storage and security of data
• Organisation and file management
• Keeping good records so data can be re-used
Demonstrate relevance & support
with practical advice
Share with your
future self!
Will you be able to write your
thesis/final report in 3 years time?
Use better file names and capture
contextual information
What would happen if your
computer failed?
Request your 1TB of centrally
managed research data storage
Your digital data is safe, but what
about your lab / research notebook?
Daily scans of your notebook for
free to your personal storage area
Can you or anyone else understand
your older research data?
Capture methods and abbreviations
in metadata or ‘readme’ files
Does your funder require you to
make your data accessible?
Publish your data in a data
repository or data journal
At the end of the workshop
Get participants to plan what they will do after the training
“Request central
storage space”
“Write a data
management plan”
“Back up my data”
Participant feedback essential for continued training development
What was useful?
“Where to get
help & find more
information”
What was missing?
Exercise: Data Management Plans
What we did
• Produced 4 different DMP templates and split students into
groups to try them
Why it worked
• Clear time period, clear objectives
• Data management plans cover many of the issues raised by
data management, so lots of subjects can be covered by one
exercise
Outcomes
• Students produced their own Data Management Plans
• Students were contributing to our project — felt some
ownership of the process
Data Management Plan (DMP) Exercise
Templates
• Digital Curation Centre Checklist:
bit.ly/idcc13-dcc
• Jez’s PGR Student Template:
bit.ly/idcc13-dmppgr
• David Shotton’s Twenty Questions:
bit.ly/idcc13-20q
What to do – compare the three templates
1. After training, will your researchers know where to find the
information to fill in each template?
2. Are different templates suited to different types of researchers?
Future plans
Short /Medium Term
• Continue to develop training format in response to feedback
• Extend training to include / encourage academic staff
• Provide additional online support for self learning
Updated data management
website
go.bath.ac.uk/research-data
Developing an online selflearning module
(see our poster!)
Long Term aims
• Train more professional support staff to deliver training (“train-the-trainer”)
• Develop subject specific training
• Broader embedded training plans included as part of business case for
sustainable data management infrastructure
Find out more….
Research360 Blog
blogs.bath.ac.uk/research360
University of Bath Research Data Management Website
www.bath.ac.uk/research/data
Training slides
opus.bath.ac.uk/32296
Contact us
research-data@bath.ac.uk
Discussion
 How have you developed & designed research data management training
resources at your institution?
 How have you identified the skills gaps of your researchers/professional
services staff?
 Issues associated with new training programmes vs. embedding training in
existing programmes
 What are the most appropriate formats for training?
 How will you ensure your training is sustainable?
 How do you engage with the academic and professional support
communities?
 Benefits of discipline specific vs. cross-discipline training.