Data Publication: Cost Recovery for Data Centres Interest Group

A lot of work is going on to understand the costs of maintaining long-term accessibility to digital resources, to identify different cost components, and on the basis of this to develop cost models. However, in a broader context that considers data as part of research communication, the identification of costs and development of cost models address only part of the problem. In times of tightening budgets, it is important to address the challenge of ensuring the sustainability of data centres -- and to consider this in the context of the broader processes for data publication. Many established national and international data centres have reliable sources of income from research funders. However, these income sources are generally inelastic and may be vulnerable. There is concern that basic funding of data infrastructure may not keep pace with increasing costs. And there is a need, therefore, to consider alternative cost recovery options and a diversification of revenue streams. The RDA/WDS Interest Group on Cost Recovery for Data Centres aims to contribute to strategic thinking on cost recovery by conducting research to understand current and possible cost recovery strategies for data centres. This presentation will provide an overview of the activities of the interest group