Data Management Planning for ESRC Research Data-rich Investments project (DMP-ESRC)

This project, funded by JISC under the Managing Research Data Programme, has been strengthening data management and sharing capability in the social sciences community. The UK Data Archive worked with four Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) large research investments: New Dynamics of Ageing (NDA) Programme Centre for Research on Socio-Cultural Change (CRESC) Centre for Social and Economic Research on Innovation in Genomics (Innogen) Third Sector Research Centre (TSRC) We developed data management planning guidance for these research hubs, in line with the new ESRC Research data policy, to ensure that the high quality research data they produce can be made available for wider reuse. After evaluating existing data management practices by researchers, we helped develop for each centre and programme a tailored set of data management recommendations and a planning strategy. These support existing good practice and direct hubs to resources or tools that address data management weaknesses. By comparing the specific strategies and distilling common elements, we were also able to develop generic data management recommendations for research centres and programmes. We gave customised training – in response to requests from the hubs – on relevant data management topics: how to prepare research data for archiving; Q&A session for centre researchers on the data management planning recommendations made; recommendations for managing qualitative research data using NVivo software. Although we found good data management practices to exist, these are idiosyncratic and variable between researchers and largely the responsibility of individual researchers. Many researchers are capable data managers, not necessarily referring to the research or project management practices they implement as ‘data management’. However, good practices need to be exchanged much more between colleague researchers and implemented more systematically. Whilst many researchers have a positive attitude to sharing data formally or informally, good intentions need to be translated into more effective data sharing strategies. Research project leaders and centre directors need to take responsibility for co-ordinating core data management aspects (data security, backup strategy, formatting), a system to keep track of all research data being created or acquired, ensuring data management roles and responsibilities are allocated and providing a framework of standard practices, policies and tools. We delivered various resources for use to help implement such framework. Projects can retain flexibility where needed (e.g. consent practices across disciplines). Core project outputs are: • Report on Data Management Practices in the Social Sciences, based on interviews with directors and researchers of past and present centres and programmes • ESRC approved Data Management Recommendations for Research Centres and Programmes, aligned with the ESRC Research data policy • Data inventory template and model data management resources library • Guidance for ESRC applicants and reviewers on data management planning to support the ESRC Research Data Policy, incorporated in online Je-S form and on ESDS website • Activity-based data management costing tool to help calculate costs of data management above standard research procedures • New edition (3rd) of the UK Data Archive’s Managing and Sharing Data guide, fully revised and with new content on data management planning, strategies for large-scale research investments, and data management for collaborative research • New content and resources for the UK Data Archive’s Create and Manage web pages