Data that is loved tends to survive.
Kurt Bollacker
Good data management practices are the foundation of a research project. Having a sold strategy for managing the data used and created during a research project not only improves the efficiency of researchers but is increasingly mandated by funders. The resources on this page outline various aspects of data management from theory to practicalities.
Presentations
Research Data Management – delivered as part of the 2017 Research Support Ambassador Programme, this two hour workshop outlines the basics of RDM including data organisation, storing information and how to deal with personal data.
RDM Recap – this short session recaps the basics of data management for both researchers and library staff.
Videos
Research Data Management in 3 Minutes – this video explores the basic concept of data management in a research project.
Data Management Plans in 3 Minutes – this video explores what a data management plan is and the basic components mandates by funders.
Why Do We Need to Manage Data? – there are many reasons to manage data but how do you communicate these effectively to researchers? This short video explores some of the most common reasons. Created as part of the Research Support Ambassador Programme. A transcript of this video is also available.
Research Data Management: What Librarians Really Need to Know – an accessible introduction to research data management for librarians including storage and sharing practices. Created as part of the Moving into Research Support Training for CILIP.
Podcasts
Why Manage Data? – there are many reasons to manage data but how do you communicate these effectively to researchers? This mini-podcast explores some of the most common reasons. Created as part of the Research Support Ambassador Programme.
Resources
Research Data Management Recap (Research Support Handy Guide) – an accessible guide to the basics of research data management. These guides can be printed as leaflets for distribution.
Data Management Plans (Research Support Handy Guide) – an accessible guide to data management plans. These guides can be printed as leaflets for distribution.
Research Data Management Activity
This activity was delivered as part of a workshop at the 2017 LILAC Conference (abstract below).
As academic libraries work to adapt to the 21st century researcher environment it is inevitable that the forms of instruction they offer to their graduate students will also evolve. The Office of Scholarly Communication at Cambridge University Library was formed in 2015 as a joint initiative between the Library and the Research Office with a remit to support the University in its promotion of Cambridge research output. Since its inception the Office of Scholarly Communication has established an extensive and successful educational programme for both students and staff covering the area of scholarly communication. Data literacy is one such area which is of growing importance to both the student and research community. The ability to manage the many forms of data produced by through study and research is a vital skill and one in which libraries are uniquely qualified to provide instruction. This workshop will introduce the methods used by the OSC to engage its attendees on the topic of research data management and provide a chance for participants to gain hands-on experience of a session. After an introduction to the situation at Cambridge and an explanation of the preceding modules in the workshop, participants will work through one module (approximately 15 minutes) of a longer workshop offered by the Office of Scholarly Communication. This will introduce them to the concept of using mix and match modules to teach a complex subject. Following this there will be small group work where participants will evaluate this approach and work to adapt one of the modules to their own work environment. Participants will then be invited to feed this back into a larger group discussion. The session will conclude with the workshop leader offering strategies to ensure both student and faculty engagement with scholarly communication topics.
Audience profiles – cards featuring a variety of different audiences who may benefit from data management training.
Module cards – cards featuring potential modules covering a variety of data management topics.
Activity cards – cards outlining different activities which can be used to teach data management techniques.