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Open Data Cultural Change

Pavol Macejovsky

University of Malta Library

Open Science Department

6^th November 2024

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Outline

o University of Malta

o Role of UM Library in Open Science

o Opting for drUM

o Workflow

o Using the repository by UM academics

o Wish list

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Space mission, AI for games, Marine and Coastal Protection…

Project Maleth

Project Maleth, Malta's first space mission, where biomedical samples from diabetic patients were sent to the International Space Station (ISS) to study the effects of space's harsh environment on human cells. This experiment aimed to explore potential treatments for diabetes and other conditions by observing how space-induced genetic changes affect tissue samples.

�Interreg Mediterranean

The SHAREMED project, funded by the European Union and involving the University of Malta, focuses on improving marine environment monitoring and addressing the sustainability of Mediterranean coastal zones. This project is particularly important because it involves multinational collaboration across the Mediterranean to monitor and mitigate issues like marine pollution and biodiversity loss. Its international impact is seen in advancing policies that protect marine environments on a global scale.

�Digital Games

The Institute of Digital Games (IDG) at the University of Malta is world-renowned for its work in game design, AI, and interactive storytelling. IDG has produced several award-winning games and research projects that have earned accolades from international gaming festivals and conferences. The institute collaborates with leading universities and companies globally, such as MIT and Ubisoft, for both academic research and game development.

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Allies of Open Science: SEA-EU Alliance

The SEA-EU (European University of the Seas) alliance is a European Union-funded initiative that brings together several coastal and maritime-focused universities across Europe. Its primary goal is to foster cooperation in education, research, and social engagement around themes related to the sea and the sustainable development of coastal regions.

To support these goals, the SEA-EU Research Data Management Policy Framework was adopted by the Alliance to guide the implementation of research data management policies. These policies are designed to facilitate dissemination, visibility, and impact of research data generated by SEA-EU institutions.

As part of its ongoing efforts, the University of Malta is developing its own Research Data Management Policy, aligned with the SEA-EU framework. In the previous phase, SEA-EU 1.0, the University led the work package related to open science, which has now been successfully completed. Additionally, the University played a key role in the reSEArch-EU project, which focused on enhancing open data practices across European universities. Through this involvement, the University Library contributed to advancing open data frameworks, sharing knowledge, and creating sustainable data management infrastructures.

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The role of UM’s Library

The first IR

on the island (OAR@UM)

The Open Science Department

Open Access Policy

drUM - Data Repository for the UM

2017

2014

2023

2019

Research Data Management Policy

2024

RDM policy 2024 – It is drafted based on the SEA-EU Research Data Management Policy Framework and best industry practises.

In 2023, the library expanded its focus to research data management and launched a custom-branded repository. Both OAR and drUM are administered by the Open Science Department.

In 2019, the UM implemented an Open Access Policy, which was upgraded to a mandate in 2021, formally requiring researchers to adhere to open science principles.

As the open science movement gained momentum, the library established the Open Science Department, responsible for managing the repository and promoting open access.

Since 2014, the University of Malta library has been promoting open science principles and practices through OAR, an open access repository primarily supporting the sharing of research papers, electronic theses and dissertations, as well as other research outputs.

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Populate the OAR@UM and drUM by depositing publications and data on behalf of researchers.

Provide support through the organisation of events, awareness-raising activities, and provide instructions and training on OAR and drUM issues.

To provide support and advice on copyright clearance, embargo periods, and any other issues pertaining to OA publishing.

Open Science Department

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drUM is our second institutional repository, designed exclusively for research data; (OAR@UM – traditional full-text repository)

Platform for depositing, curating, and sharing datasets from research projects conducted under auspices of University of Malta

Inherited structure, assigns Library of Congress keywords, and includes custom metadata

Open Science team provides consultative service offering guidance on licensing, metadata and distributing quotas

The goal is to create a robust platform for UM researchers to deposit their research data. We considered two options. The first was an open-source system, based on our previous experience with DSpace, which requires maintenance, tailored services, and additional IT resources.

The second option was a cloud-based solution, which would place less strain on the IT department. After a series of sales pitch meetings with three service providers, Figshare was selected as the most relevant to our criteria, based on frequent upgrades, security, and cost-effectiveness.

Particularly the ability to render/open files, such as .stl 3d models, in the browser without downloading and installing anything.“

One standout feature was data previewing, particularly the ability to view .stl files without unnecessary downloads. Figshare also aligns with our open data goals and is already popular among other universities. We integrated Figshare with Hydi, our library search portal, which uses the Primo software licensed from Ex Libris.

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WORKFLOW

23364

10 TB

Open Science

Department

Self Deposit

Publishing data

Approving items for publishing

Distributing quotas

Correcting metadata

Academic staff

(1GB by default)

Students

(Consent form for depositing)

Creating sub-groups

Consulting services encompassing publishing, licences, embargo periods, copyright clearance

We started with 10 TB of storage, where each academic is allocated 1 GB by default. Academics have the option to self-deposit their data, while students need to request a consent form from the library. The Open Science Department approves data deposit requests, allocates storage quotas, corrects metadata records, and creates subgroups. Once the data are approved, they will appear on the main page.

All users belong to the main group, University of Malta, where most items are deposited. Within this structure, there are subgroups consisting of all faculties, centers, institutes, and schools.

Since we started in October, most of the deposited data consist of datasets, primarily tabular data, with the most viewed item being House Names in Ten Maltese Localities. This is followed by figures, such as graphs and JPGs, mostly featuring a collection of photographs depicting Maltese pottery technology from Neolithic Malta. Lastly, there are media files, particularly audio recordings from research on musical memory recognition comparing Maltese and South Korean people.

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Use by UM researchers

PhD students sharing their data with supervisors

Private link functionality on a funding application

Preview features of deposited files

(BrainCon)

In the current phase, the university is still in the process of introducing the culture of data disclosure on the new repository. Although some academics keep their data stored on other open-source repositories, we have observed instances of drUM usage, such as, PhD students are sharing their data with supervisors, and students conducting research with data are also uploading it to the repository.

Along these lines, Figshare has allowed researchers to generate private links to unpublished records and share them during the review process.

Additionally, researchers have praised other features, such as the private links functionality on a funding application, and the preview features of deposited files.

User-intuitive Continuous Brain Control of a Smart Wheelchair (BrainCon)

GRIIS, The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (GRIIS) presents validated and verified national checklists of introduced (alien) and invasive alien species at the country, territory, and associated island level.

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Anonymization Tools

Built-in data anonymization tools

AI-DRIVEN INSIGHTS

Automated metadata generation
Analysing dataset

content

Wish list

CURRENT RESEARCH INFORMATION SYSTEM

Improved Metrics and Analytics

Built-in Data Anonymization: Provide automated anonymization tools within the repository. This would allow researchers to upload sensitive datasets and automatically remove or mask personally identifiable information (PII), making it easier to share sensitive data while maintaining compliance with GDPR and other data privacy laws.

Machine learning-driven insights to suggest controlled vocabulary terms, relevant metadata, and keywords, saving researchers time while improving data discoverability. By suggesting standardized terms, this tool would also enhance FAIR data principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable), allowing for better compliance with data management policies.

CRIS Current research information system – When integrated, CRIS can consolidate the Figshare metrics with publication citations, grant details, and collaborative metrics. This integration offering a holistic view of research impact and reach, enabling detail reporting, more effective tracking, and the capability to understanding everything that’s occurring across the research enterprise of the institution. Moreover, it supports tracking and reporting on compliance with funding mandates and open-access policies, providing key performance indicators directly to academic stakeholders and funders.

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Thanks!

Contact me on the details below for further info:

Pavol Macejovsky

/um.libraryservices

Pavol.macejovsky@um.edu.mt

(+356) 2340 1234/5