As a funded university researcher, you have a responsibility to use your funds appropriately and properly, and funding agencies are quite rightly determined to ensure that their investments return maximum benefit and value. The more impact and research mileage your work generates, the better for everyone, including the funding agencies who will know their money … Continue reading A (short) introduction to research data management
Author: Alastair Downie
Head of IT and Digital Transformation for the School of the Biological Sciences, University of Cambridge.
Research Data Management as a national service
The volume of data stored in research institutions is growing, and the rate at which it is growing is accelerating. Modern research practices and equipment are generating huge amounts of data. In science there are many desktop devices that can create TeraBytes of data every day – they’re becoming more prolific; more compact; more affordable, … Continue reading Research Data Management as a national service
Bite-sized RDM #5 – the readme file
You may have seen ‘README’ files before. And, like most people, you may have completely ignored them! It’s true that in most applications they contain information that’s not really of interest to the viewer, or instructions that aren’t really necessary. But in the context of complex scientific datasets, they really can provide a useful key … Continue reading Bite-sized RDM #5 – the readme file
Bite-sized RDM #4 – discoverability
We expend a lot of energy, and money, to make sure that our data remains safe and secure. But how much time is wasted by double-clicking through those very high-quality hard disks, when you don’t know the name or location of the file you’re looking for? Discoverability is important! How will you find your data … Continue reading Bite-sized RDM #4 – discoverability
Bite-sized RDM #3 – data management plans
All funding bodies require applicants to describe what data will be produced in a project, and how it will be managed during the project, and how it will become/remain accessible to the scientific community after the project. The normal method for compliance with these policies is to write a Data Management Plan. Many funding bodies provide forms or … Continue reading Bite-sized RDM #3 – data management plans
Bite-sized RDM #2 – directory structure
Let's be honest - we've all done this at some point: Doesn't this look much better? Devising and implementing a directory structure that suits your work is very easy - you could make a dramatic improvement in just one lunchtime! Consider sorting by category, or by project name - whatever suits the way you work. … Continue reading Bite-sized RDM #2 – directory structure
Bite-sized RDM #1 – file naming conventions
Have a look at the filenames in the above image, and consider how useful they’ll be in three years’ time, when those files are sitting in a folder called ‘For filing’ along with several other desktop dumps, and hundreds of other, almost identical filenames? You shouldn’t rely on metadata like creation or modification dates for … Continue reading Bite-sized RDM #1 – file naming conventions
Thoughts on Electronic Research Notebooks as a national service for the academic community.
My interest in research documentation began in 2012, when I thought that an institutional transition from paper to digital would be painless, easy, and universally welcomed - a quick win for everyone. In industry, they’ve been using electronic research notebook systems for the last 20yrs - the benefits are clear and proven. But it turns … Continue reading Thoughts on Electronic Research Notebooks as a national service for the academic community.
RDM @ SBS 