Delivering Research Data Management Services: Fundamentals of Good Practice

The research landscape is changing, with key global research funders now requiring institutions to demonstrate how they will preserve and share research data. However, the practice of structured research data management is very new, and the construction of services remains experimental and in need of models and standards of approach. This groundbreaking guide will lead researchers, institutions and policy makers through the processes needed to set up and run effective institutional research data management services. This 'how to' guide provides a step-by-step explanation of the components for an institutional service. Case studies from the newly emerging service infrastructures in the UK, USA and Australia draw out the lessons learnt. Different approaches are highlighted and compared; for example, a researcher-focused strategy from Australia is contrasted with a national, top-down approach, and a national research data management service is discussed as an alternative to institutional services. The key topics covered: A patchwork of change: research data provision, options and approaches to research data management (RDM) service provision, Who's doing data? A spectrum of roles, responsibilities and competences, A pathway to sustainable research data services: from scoping to sustainability, The range and components of RDM infrastructure and services, Case study 1: Johns Hopkins University, Case study 2: University of Southampton, Case Study 2: Monash University, Case Study 4: The UK Data Service, Case study 5: Jisc Managing Research Data programmes. This book will be an invaluable guide to those entering a new and untried enterprise. It will be particularly relevant to heads of libraries, information technology managers, research support office staff and research directors planning for these types of services. It will also be of interest to researchers, funders and policy makers as a reference tool for understanding how shifts in policy will have a range of ramifications within institutions. Library and information science students will find it an informative window on an emerging area of practice.