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The library’s role in Research Data Management

Practices and experiences at

University of Amsterdam (UvA) &

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU)

Sofia Piet (UvA) & Tycho Hofstra (VU)

Erasmus+ exchange week, Amsterdam

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6 October 2022

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Introduction

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Sofia Piet

RDM specialist

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Research data

“[…] collected, observed or created for the purpose of analysis, to produce and validate original research results.” (Crossley 2014)

For example

•Experiment results

•Field notes

•Observations captured in photo, film or audio

•Scraped websites

•Interviews

….and all data about the data

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What’s the role of the library?

What are the problems around research data?

How can the library help?

What relevant knowledge does the library have?

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Building Research Data Management support with lego

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Activity: Represent RDM support elements with lego (25 minutes + 15 discussion)

  • Form two groups
  • Each group member picks at least one lego piece
    • Which element should be part of a RDM support department?
    • Explain how the lego piece represents this element and why this element is important according to you
    • Build a lego construction with all the pieces from your group
  • At the end, one or two people from the group will show the construction and explain the elements the construction consists of

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HAVE FUN!

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RDM support at UvA and VU

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Policy UvA & VU

  • General policy at central level, approved by Executive Board
  • Each faculty and/or research institute has its own discipline-specific version
  • Contents discussed with various stakeholders, e.g. researchers, policy officers, deans, IT, privacy officers

UvA (https://rdm.uva.nl/en/planning/uva-policy/uva-and-auas-policy.html)

VU (https://vu.nl/en/about-vu/more-about/policy-guidelines)

  • Plan to evaluate and update every two years

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Central support desk UvA

  • Provided by the library
  • RDM Support team, members have different specialisations
  • Second line of contact
  • Involved in improving RDM(-related) services at all levels
  • Contact: rdm-support@uva.nl

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Central support desk VU

  • Core team in library
  • Core team is first line of contact; they give an answer or forward question to relevant expert or the data steward
  • Faculty data stewards (no wrong door)
  • Website: https://vu.nl/en/about-vu/more-about/find-support

  • Contact

rdm@vu.nl

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RDM courses UvA

  • On request: workshops about RDM in general, GDPR and/or related subjects
  • Introductory courses for PhD students at two faculties (Humanities, Economics & Business)
    • Two parts: introduction to RDM and discussion of DMPs
    • Homework in between: PhD students write DMP and get feedback
    • RDM Support developed the workshop, data stewards take over

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RDM courses VU

  • For PhDs: course ‘Writing a Data Management Plan’
    • Tailored to each faculty, in collaboration with graduate schools and PhD coordinators
    • ±20 times a year
    • 2 workshops, participants read materials beforehand
    • Participants write DMP and get feedback
    • Obligatory in some faculties, optional in others
    • Participants receive 1 EC upon completing all obligatory components
  • More courses in development

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Website UvA

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rdm.uva.nl/en

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Website VU

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vu.nl/rds

http://libguides.vu.nl/researchdata

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Online DMP tool UvA & VU

  • DMPonline

  • UvA
    • Implemented in 2018
    • Institutional template(s)
    • Guidance
  • VU
    • Implemented in September 2019
    • Institutional templates (v1.3)
    • Guidance

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Collaboration with data stewards UvA

  • 13 data stewards, faculty and/or institutional level
  • Combination of roles, e.g. policy advisor is data steward as well
  • First port of call for researchers
  • Provide RDM support, e.g. DMP review, privacy questions, etc.
  • Can fall back on RDM Support at Library
  • RDM Support organises regular meetings of all data stewards

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Collaboration with data stewards VU

  • Data stewards, faculty and/or institutional level
  • Research support office
  • Data steward
  • Privacy Champion
  • Data managers
  • Software engineers

  • Help with DMP courses and reviewing the DMPs

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Collaboration with other services UvA &VU

  • ICT Services, IT departments at faculties
  • Academic Affairs (policy department)
  • Legal Affairs (mainly GDPR)
  • Grants desk, IXA (Innovation Exchange Amsterdam 🡪 valorisation office)

VU

  • Network of Privacy Champions in faculties

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Institutional repository UvA

  • UvA/AUAS figshare (uvaauas.figshare.com)
  • Two-factor authentication
  • Data publishing and/or archiving
  • Working on digital preservation

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3 October 2019

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Institutional repository VU

  • For data publishing:
    • DataverseNL
    • OSF
    • Yoda (in development)
  • For data verification:
    • Yoda (in development)

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Thank you!�Questions?

UvA

Sofia Piet

rdm-support@uva.nl

RDM website:

https://rdm.uva.nl/en

VU

Tycho Hofstra

rdm@vu.nl

Research Data Support Portal:

vu.nl/rds

LibGuide Research Data Management: http://libguides.vu.nl/researchdata

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