Digital Curation Centre Research Articles

Research data management competencies of researchers in selected public universities in South Africa

PurposeIn today's global and competitive corporate environment characterised by rapidly changing information, knowledge and technology (IKT), researchers must be upskilled in all aspects of research data management (RDM). This study investigates a set of capabilities and competencies required by researchers at selected South African public universities, using the community capability model framework (CCMF) in conjunction with the digital curation centre (DCC) lifecycle model.Design/methodology/approachThe post-positivist paradigm was used in the study, which used both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Case studies, both qualitative and quantitative, were used as research methods. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic rules and regulations, semi-structured interviews with 23 study participants were conducted online via Microsoft Teams to collect qualitative data, and questionnaires were converted into Google Forms and emailed to 30 National Research Foundation (NRF)-rated researchers to collect quantitative data.FindingsParticipating institutions are still in the initial stages of providing RDM services. Most researchers are unaware of how long their institutions retain research data, and they store and backup their research data on personal computers, emails and external storage devices. Data management, research methodology, data curation, metadata skills and technical skills are critically important RDM competency requirements for both staff and researchers. Adequate infrastructure, as well as human resources and capital, are in short supply. There are no specific capacity-building programmes or strategies for developing RDM skills at the moment, and a lack of data curation skills is a major challenge in providing RDM.Practical implicationsThe findings of the study can be applied widely in research, teaching and learning. Furthermore, the research could help shape RDM strategy and policy in South Africa and elsewhere.Originality/valueThe scope, subject matter and application of this study contribute to its originality and novelty.

Open-Access Theology: Introducing the <i>St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology</i>’s Digital Publishing Model

The St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology (SAET) is an online multi-author reference work designed as a resource for those engaged with, or wishing to learn more about, the academic study of theology. The SAET seeks to provide a suite of comprehensive, fully open-access peer-reviewed articles with no fees or sign-up requirements. In doing so, the editors aim to improve the availability of high-quality information for readers worldwide, especially those for whom access to resources through traditional academic publishing is restricted by cost, lack of institutional affiliation, or limited library resources. This article introduces the SAET’s digital publishing model, discussing the scholarly and editorial principles that have informed the development of the project. In particular, the article examines the ways in which the SAET’s commitment to providing quality open-access scholarship has significantly shaped the project’s information management and publishing processes.Technical strategies for widening access to theological knowledge are discussed, focusing on information discovery through the Encyclopaedia’s faceted search and in-article hyperlinks, as well as available article formats (HTML and PDF). This is accompanied by an explanation of strategies for long-term curation and preservation of theological knowledge within the SAET, namely capturing and preserving conceptual information through enriched XML mark-up and embedded metadata. The SAET’s article lifecycle is then conceptualized in reference to digital curation and preservation actions described by the Digital Curation Centre’s ‘DCC Curation Lifecycle Model’, leading to conclusions about the distinctive character of the SAET article workflow, in which curation and preservation of theological knowledge is integrated into its creation and production.

RDM Compas: Building Competencies for the Professional Curation of Research Data

“RDM Compas: Research Data Management Competence Base”, consisting of an education and training centre with modular online trainings on the one hand, and a comprehensive knowledge base covering all topics of curation-specific RDM on the other hand. In addition, a certification option is envisioned for curation-specific RDM competencies. In the context of our presentation, due to the advanced state of work we want to focus on the knowledge base and present its structure and elements. The structural basis is a slightly simplified version of the Data Curation Lifecycle Model [2] offered by the UK Digital Curation Centre [3]. This lifecycle describes both the basic activities and the sequential process steps of data curation and therefore provides a helpful schema for teaching the necessary RDM competencies.

Development strategies as catalysts for provision of the RDM services in the South African higher education institutions

A strategy in this paper was viewed as a plan of action for achieving the mission and vision of an organisation. This paper presents preliminary findings of the larger study which aimed to determine the strategies for research data management (RDM) at selected universities in KwaZulu-Natal. The current study used the community capability maturity model framework (CCMF) and the digital curation centre (DCC) lifecycle model as theoretical support to determine the strategies for RDM service provision with specific reference to the University of Zululand. The interpretive paradigm, following the qualitative research approach through a single case study, was used. Primary data was gathered through online interviews using Zoom and Teams with Librarians, Technicians, HODs, and DVC Research due to the Covid-19 pandemic and availability of technologies. The findings of the study revealed the University of Zululand does not have an RDM policy; however, research activities are practiced. The University lacks the infrastructure and investment to support RDM services and activities. The study is significant for providing the background for developing RDM in the public university through RDM strategy and policy. The findings also sought to inform the university’s RDM agenda.

A framework for management of digital records on the cloud in the public sector of South Africa

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate a framework for management of digital records on the cloud in South Africa.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative case study used semi-structured interviews and document analysis to collect data from regulatory documents, records practitioners and chief information officers in the national government departments in South Africa.FindingsThis study reveals that despite the advent of cloud computing, government is still struggling with manual paper-based records challenges, as they have not developed a government-owned cloud in which to manage and dispose records.Practical implicationsTechnological advancements have brought about dramatic changes to the management and disposition of records since cloud computing emerged. The traction gained by cloud computing influences how records are managed and disposed in the cloud storage. Currently, the South African Government manages and disposes records in the government premises as stipulated by the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa Act (1996). This is enforced by the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa, which is the government records regulator because records are on paper-based, microfilms and audio-visual formats. It is hoped that the recommendations and framework proposed in this study may assist the government and related sectors in the adoption and implementation of the cloud computing system for records management and disposal. This may assist in resolving challenges such as missing files, damaged records and archives and long turnaround time for retrieval of records.Social implicationsIn South Africa, the digital records are securely stored in storage mediums such as hard drives and USBs, to mention but a few. In addition to digital obsolescence faced by the storage mediums, global access to information is hindered because information is limited to those who can visit the archival holdings. The alternative option is to manage and dispose of records in the cloud. The framework and recommendations in this study may also assist in improving information, archives and records management policies and service delivery to the community at large. The framework proposed may be applied as a theory for framing future studies in the same area of cloud computing and used as a resource to guide other future studies and policymakers.Originality/valueThis study provides a framework for management of digital records on the cloud in South Africa. It also proposes the promulgation of the Cloud Act to promote unlimited access to state heritage, regardless of time and location. This study is framed on the Digital Curation Centre Life Cycle Model.

Updating the DCC Curation Lifecycle Model

The DCC Curation Lifecycle Model has played a vital role in the field of data curation for over a decade. During that time, the scale and complexity of data have changed dramatically, along with the contexts of data production and use. This paper reports on a study examining factors impacting data curation practices and presents recommendations for updating the DCC Curation Lifecycle Model. The study was grounded in a review of other lifecycle models and informed by a site visit to the Digital Curation Centre and consultation with expert practitioners and researchers. Framed by contemporary conditions impacting the conduct of research and provision of data services, the analysis and proposed recommendations account for the prominence of machine-actionable data, the importance of machine learning for data processing and analytics, growth of integrated research workflows, and escalating concerns with fairness, accountability, and transparency of data and algorithms.

Management of digital records in selected financial services parastatals in Zimbabwe

In recent years, there has been a surge of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the conduct of business. Public sector institutions in Zimbabwe have also embraced ICTs with an objective of promoting accountability, transparency and service delivery. This has increased the generation of digital records which are key in day-to-day business activities. However, the management of such records has been a challenge for most public sector institutions in most countries including Zimbabwe. Despite embracing ICTs, there have not been many changes to create a favourable environment for managing the resultant digital records. The findings reported in this research article were part of a broader study on the management of digital records in selected financial services parastatals in Zimbabwe. The study utilised the digital curation centre (DCC) curation lifecycle model as the theoretical framework of the study. This multiple case study research adopted a qualitative research approach to collect data from four purposively selected financial services parastatals in Zimbabwe using interviews, document analysis and observation as data collection tools. The study established that the financial services parastatals under investigation still lack requisite tools such as policies, guidelines and standards, adequate infrastructure and skilled manpower for effective and efficient management of digital records. In addition, the National Archives of Zimbabwe (NAZ), which has the legal mandate of regulating records management, has not been sufficiently involved in the management of digital records due to the lack of a legal and professional framework. Therefore, the study recommends the crafting of in-house policies and guidelines for managing digital records, procurement of adequate infrastructure and the recruitment of skilled and experienced manpower, if an enabling environment for the effective and efficient management of digital records is to be created.

Curadoria Digital de dados e Web de Dados: mantendo Dados Abertos Conectados para estudos bibliométricos e cientométricos

Discorre sobre os primeiros passos em direção à Curadoria Digital de índices cientométricos como Dados Abertos Conectados na Web de Dados. Por se tratar de um relato de experiência, com sua base constitutiva permeando a interdisciplinaridade, o procedimento metodológico é baseado nos ciclos de vida da Curadoria Digital proposto pelo Digital Curation Centre e do Linked Data Lifecycle proposto pelo grupo de pesquisa Agile Knowledge Engineering and Semantic. Como resultado, implementa-se o endpoint <http://lod.unicentro.br>, custodiando os recursos de dados do histórico de três índices cientométricos (Qualis, SJR e SNIP, no período 2005-2016). Diante disso, os referidos índices estão disponibilizados na Web de Dados, privilegiando o acesso, o reuso, a interoperabilidade e a processabilidade de seus recursos para com outras pesquisas bibliométricas/cientométricas. Conclui-se que, ao custodiar três conjuntos de índices cientométricos como Dados Abertos Conectados, o endpoint <http://lod.unicentro.br> permite: i) a encontrabilidade dos recursos na Web de Dados; ii) a navegabilidade entre os elementos distribuídos na web; iii) a exploração informacional do relacionamento entre os recursos disponibilizados; e iv) a replicação de resultados em estudos científicos ao longo do tempo.

Media Digitization and Preservation Initiative: A Case Study

Since its creation nearly a decade ago, the Digital Curation Centre (DCC) Curation Lifecycle Model has become the quintessential framework for understanding digital curation. Organizations and consortia around the world have used the DCC Curation Lifecycle Model as a tool to ensure that all the necessary stages of digital curation are undertaken, to define roles and responsibilities, and to build a framework of standards and technologies for digital curation. Yet, research on the application of the model to large-scale digitization projects as a way of understanding their efforts at digital curation is scant. This paper reports on findings of a qualitative case study analysis of Indiana University Bloomington’s multi-million-dollar Media Digitization and Preservation Initiative (MDPI), employing the DCC Curation Lifecycle Model as a lens for examining the scope and effectiveness of its digital curation efforts. Findings underscore the success of MDPI in performing digital curation by illustrating the ways it implements each of the model’s components. Implications for the application of the DCC Curation Lifecycle Model in understanding digital curation for mass digitization projects are discussed as well as directions for future research.

Open Science approaches at the University of Edinburgh

Watch the VIDEO.The University of Edinburgh is a large, research-intensive, civic university at the heart of Scotland’s capital. As a member of the League of European Research Universities (LERU), the Universitas 21 consortium and the Russell Group, we value and cultivate partnerships and collaborations as second nature, and seek to be recognised among the world’s top universities. These are interesting times for us, not least from Open (and data-driven) Science perspectives. In May 2018 the LERU Rectors Assembly assembled in Edinburgh, where they collectively endorsed LERU’s Roadmap for Open Science; a movement which requires considerable alterations to traditional researcher behaviours, and increasingly balancing intellectual investment and ownership of research with “the common good.” More recently, in August the UK Prime Minister and the Scottish First Minister met at the University to launch the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, a £1.3bn investment package designed to increase the contribution of research, data analytics expertise and graduate skills to the region’s economy, ultimately aiming to make Edinburgh “the data capital of Europe.” The timing of these developments provides a challenge, however, as Edinburgh, Scotland and the rest of the UK prepare to leave the European Union in the Spring of 2019. In an ideal world Science and Scholarship would be independent of political shifts, focused as they are on ideals of universal truth, but the means via which research is funded, performed and disseminated are necessarily grounded in political reality. Edinburgh’s default responses to the changes and challenges we face are to influence them positively – or mitigate them proactively – wherever we can, and to prepare ourselves for their impact where we cannot do otherwise. The University’s newly integrated Research Data Support (RDS) team is a cornerstone of our institutional Digital Research Services. We aim to provide holistic, responsive, tailored and researcher-focused support to the University community, helping collectively meet contemporary expectations in scholarly communications, including Open Science requirements to make data (and code) available alongside publications to enable their conclusions to be reproduced. The RDS has published a Roadmap for ongoing development, and alongside other infrastructural and support units such as the Scholarly Communications and Research Information Systems functions – and together with the externally focused infrastructure, advocacy and skills development centres that Edinburgh hosts, such as the Digital Curation Centre and the Software Sustainability Institute – we are a key component of the University’s broader Open Science strategy. In this presentation we will describe and discuss Edinburgh’s Open Science environment and approaches, within the broader landscape of changing expectations, political risks and scientific and societal opportunities. We will discuss the benefits and challenges of Open approaches within and beyond the Sciences, and the challenges involved in turning the European Commission’s “as open as possible, as closed as necessary” dictum into reality, including outreach and skills development activities. Finally we will look at the University’s current RDS Roadmap, and consider how this might develop and adapt in the exciting (and potentially turbulent) years ahead.

Institutional readiness for digital archives management at United States International University-Africa

ABSTRACTThis article seeks to assess the readiness of the United States International University-Africa (USIU-A) to manage digital archives with a view to proposing strategies to enhance digital archives management at the institution. The study was informed by the Records Continuum Model, the Open Archival Information System Model and the Digital Curation Centre Lifecycle Model. A case study was used as part of a mixed-method research approach with a sample size of 120 respondents drawn from a population of 6937 by using systematic random sampling and purposive sampling techniques. Questionnaires, interviews, observation and documentary review methods were used to collect data. Qualitative and quantitative data was presented and analysed thematically. The study revealed that the infrastructure required for digital archives management was not up to standard. Moreover, a myriad of challenges were unearthed which were found to potentially inhibit the management of digital archives. The study therefore concluded that although USIU-A had taken steps towards digital archives management, more still needed to be done for the institution to effectively manage its digital archives.

Next-Generation Data Management Plans: Global, Machine-Actionable, FAIR

At IDCC 2016 the Digital Curation Centre (DCC) and University of California Curation Center (UC3) at the California Digital Library (CDL) announced plans to merge our respective data management planning tools, DMPonline and DMPTool, into a single platform. By formalizing our partnership and co-developing a core infrastructure for data management plans (DMPs), we aim to meet the skyrocketing demand for our services in our national, and increasingly international, contexts. The larger goal is to engage with what is now a global DMP agenda and help make DMPs a more useful exercise for all stakeholders in the research enterprise. This year we offer a progress report that encompasses our co-development roadmap and future enhancements focused on implementing use cases for machine-actionable DMPs.

From compliance to curation

The University of Oxford’s institutional repository for data, Oxford University Research Archive (ORA)-Data, was launched in May 2015. This article describes a current-state assessment of ORA-Data in relation to the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) policy framework on research data and offers some future directions in implementing a more systemic lifecycle approach to research data curation at the University of Oxford with reference to the Digital Curation Centre’s Curation Lifecycle Model. Insights into the attitudes and requirements of EPSRC-funded researchers at the university in relation to research data management, from a survey we conducted, are explored. Descriptive metadata and identifiers, preservation actions, access, use and reuse and community engagement are considered. ORA-Data is positioned within the wider context of Oxford’s research data management roadmap.

Roadmap: A Research Data Management Advisory Platform

The DMPTool and DMPonline were developed to meet an emerging need arising from the advent of open data policies and each is now well established as the resource for researchers seeking guidance in creating data management plans (DMPs) in the US and UK respectively. Both services, and their sponsoring organizations, the California Digital Library (CDL) and the Digital Curation Centre (DCC), have succeeded in enabling researchers to comply with funder requirements in producing DMPs. However, this is just one step along the road to advancing open science. We see an opportunity to further leverage DMPs to support open science by integrating them into the broader ecosystem of data management infrastructure. In order to achieve this goal, we must redefine success to include not just adoption of our services by institutions but also widespread adoption by individual researchers, disciplinary communities, and funders. Working together with all stakeholders to make DMPs an essential, open part of the research lifecycle, and not just a matter of compliance, is the next step toward effectively managing and sharing research data. We propose to join forces and build a new, global data management advisory platform that links DMPs to other components of the research lifecycle. The biomedical research community provides an opportunity to adapt the infrastructure and associated educational resources to one specific disciplinary community and plug into new initiatives. We will reposition DMPs as living documents useful for structuring the course of biomedical research activities and integrating with related data management systems to lower the barriers for implementation and promote culture change. Consolidating around a single platform for DMPs extends our reach, keeps costs down, and moves best practices forward, allowing us to participate in a truly global open science ecosystem.

Current status of scientific data curation research and practices in mainland China

INTRODUCTIONWith rapid growth in activities and resulting body of scientific data, have become as important a strategic resource as natural resources and human resources. Scientific depends more and more on finding theories and knowledge from scientific data, and thus data-intensive scientific discovery has become fourth paradigm of scientific research. Therefore, it is urgent to develop and adopt methods to support collection, collation, preservation and utilization of scientific data, which are referred to as scientific curation.The term was first coined by Zorich (1995) in his paper on museum future collection management, to refer to maintenance and of museum objects and specimen information. At Digital Curation: Digital Archives, Libraries and e-Science Seminar, sponsored by Digital Preservation Coalition and British National Space Centre and held in London in 2001, term and with their modern meanings were proposed in context of e-Science which requires management, preservation, and sharing of a wide range of scientific (Beagrie & Pothen, 2001). However, specific definitions of these two terms were not mentioned at time.In 2002, Gray, Szalay, Thakar, Stoughton and Vandenberg (2002) mentioned term in their technical report about scientific publication and preservation. However, they also did not give a clear definition and only listed some related activities, such as recording gathering process, archiving all versions of programs and event logs, and keeping notes, memoranda and experimental data.In 2003, U K. Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) gave a clear definition to term for first time in its e-Science report: the activity of, managing and promoting use of from its point of creation, to ensure it is fit for contemporary purpose, and available for discovery and reuse (Lord & Macdonald, 2003). Here, refer to digital primary generated in academic and scientific research (Lord & Macdonald, 2003).After examining various definitions of from 2003 to 2007, Yakel (2007) concluded that digital has increasingly become an umbrella concept that includes preservation, curation, electronic records management, and asset management. However, he did not give clear definitions to these two terms.The Digital Curation Center (DCC), a U.K.-based center with a focus on building capacity, capability and skills for management, gives a formal definition to digital curation as maintaining, preserving and adding value to throughout its lifecycle (Digital Curation Centre, 2004). It also made a subtle distinction between data curation and digital curation as follows: both of them refer to looking after and adding value to data, and moreover latter also implies creating some new from existing to ensure its current and future usefulness (Digital Curation Centre, 2008). In 2011, Walters and Skinner (2011) distinguished between these two terms according to their application scope and deemed that is applied most often in science, engineering and social science fields whereas is used more frequently to describe humanities and arts environment.In China, some researchers also had discussions about intension and extension of these two terms. It has been generally recognized that is often used in U K. whereas is often used in USA (Wang, 2014; Xia, 2013; Yang, 2016). Data is also often used in natural science disciplines whereas is often used in libraries, archives and other social science disciplines (Wang & Shen, 2014). No matter how these two terms are defined, they do not have essential differences and can be used interchangeably in most cases. …

Digital curation for cultural and intellectual assets : a Taiwan perspective

(ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.)INTRODUCTIONDigital information on the Internet is massively increasing and having significant impacts on people in many areas, such as education, recreation, research and culture. The generated information is not as safe and eternal as people may think. The long term survival of information is at risk because of many factors such as technology obsolescence and technology fragility (Harvey, 2010); therefore, it is essential to preserve, manage and use information.Digital curation can be defined broadly as the appraisal, digitization, management, preservation and use of, as well as value addition to assets for short-term and long-term use (Wikipedia 2016a). According to the Digital Curation Centre (DCC), digital curation involves maintaining, preserving and adding value to research data throughout its lifecycle (Digital Curation Centre, 2008). The range of research data is quite broad, including government information, scientific data, and cultural and intellectual assets.Over the past two decades, due to the rapid development of information and communication technologies, there has been a rapid growth of digitization projects around the world aiming at preserving important cultural and intellectual assets. Through digitization and dissemination over the Internet, cultural and intellectual assets can be more readily available to the public.This article shares the experience of the National Central Library, Taiwan, in curation, specifically in two collaborative projects. The first project seeks international cooperation for digitizing Chinese rare books; the second project collaborates with government agencies and libraries in Taiwan for digitizing Chinese books published in the twentieth century, especially during the period of 1911-1949.INTERNATIONAL DIGITALIZATION PROJECT OF RARE BOOKSSince 2002, the Taiwan National Central Library (NCL) has been digitizing important collection resources as part of the government's National Digital Archives Program, which were later renamed Taiwan e-Learning and Digital Archives Program (n.d.). The types of digitized publications include rare books, local government documents, and periodicals and newspapers. Other content includes rubbings of stone inscriptions in Taiwan, news programs, genealogies and thesis papers (National Central Library, 2012).As the national library of Taiwan, the NCL owns a rich and important collection of Chinese and Taiwanese documents. As many Chinese rare books are scattered around the world, it is desirable to collect these books together and provide a comprehensive online resource to support Chinese studies. To that end, the NCL initiated the International Digitalization Project of Rare Books in 2005 for digitizing Chinese rare books owned by overseas institutions. On the one hand, NCL can strengthen its Chinese collection through the collaborative digitization; on the other, the collaboration partners can produce quality archives of their Chinese rare books by leveraging NCL's rich experience in digitizing Chinese rare books.NCL investigated the collections of many national libraries, academic libraries and cultural institutions around the world, and invited those which owned abundant and distinctive ancient Chinese books to participate in the project. The partner institutions include the U.S Library of Congress, the University of Washington, the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Toronto, and the Bibliotheque nationale de France. By 2015, 3,226 titles and a total of 1,852,100 images had been digitized. Table 1 lists the collaborative partners and the number of books digitized by each partner.NCL started the collaboration with the Asian Division of the Library of Congress in 2005, and until 2012, the project had completed 2,025 titles, comprising 1,032,401 images. …

Dataset-level metrics: Knowledge Exchange, DCC, CASRAI

The drive towards accepting datasets as valid scholarly outputs, worthy of recognition and reward, has met with concerns about how to gauge the degree of their worth. With skilled peer reviewers for datasets few and far between, there has been considerable focus on the use of quantitative metrics to help assess data quality and impact. This presentation looks at work performed in this area by the European forum Knowledge Exchange, the UK Digital Curation Centre, and the international standards body CASRAI.

Book Review: Delivering Research Data Management Services: Fundamentals of Good Practice

Delivering Research Management Services: Fundamentals of Good Practice. Edited by Graham Pryor, Sarah Jones, and Angus Whyte. London: Facet, 2014. 242 p. $99.95 softcover (ISBN 978-1-85604-933-7). Delivering Research Management Services proposes to build awareness of the need for a research data management (RDM) service infrastructure and explain how to set up such a service (including technological and human resources as well as securing institutional support). It accomplishes this through five chapters authored individually by the three editors, all currently or formerly affiliated with the United Kingdom's (UK) Digital Curation Centre (DCC). It discusses three case studies from institutions that have successfully launched RDM services in the United States, UK, and Australia; and two case studies from national programs in the UK. book provides in-depth information about high-level considerations for RDM services; it does not provide instruction in best practices for managing data. An earlier publication by the same lead editor, Managing Research Data, may prove more useful for those seeking best practices information. (1) Since this book demonstrates the value in planning ahead through advocacy and capacity-building before tackling the preservation and provision of access to research data, it may be a good first read. authors have extensive knowledge of and experience on this subject, yet write clearly enough for novices to comprehend. readers need to have a high tolerance for acronyms, since every agency, service, and tool seems to have one. Each chapter provides enough context to stand on its own, but this reviewer would have preferred that the book had been more tightly edited to facilitate cohesion across chapters. For instance, the authors recommend that Case Study 5 (chapter 10) be read in conjunction with chapter 5, begging the question of why Case Study 5 was not positioned as Case Study 1 (chapter 6). Such sequencing would have naturally achieved the authors' suggestion. book lacks a concluding chapter summing up the best practices, but it is left to readers to draw their own conclusions based on their institutional settings. Indeed, institutions in the UK seem to have an advantage in terms of governmental funding and shared infrastructure. In contrast, US institutions must either step up advocacy and coordination efforts at a national level or find smaller-scale solutions to the challenge of research data management. Examples of US universities' current and emerging practices relating to RDM services can be found in the Association of Research Libraries' SPEC Kit 334: Research Management Services. (2) We can learn much from our UK counterparts and their advancements. Many of the institutions cited in this book developed RDM services incrementally, starting with pilot projects and repurposing existing resources while advocating for the allocation of additional resources. Several authors advised including the costs and risks of doing nothing in that advocacy. In chapter 5, The Range and Components of RDM Infrastructure and Services, Sarah Jones describes DUDs, or Data centers Under Desks, created by research groups attempting to do their own data management at low cost. She notes, However, while the upfront costs may be only a fraction of those quoted by central services, the risk of data loss and security breaches are significantly higher, potentially leading to far greater costs in the long run (98). …

Reshaping the DCC Institutional Engagement Programme

This paper shares results from the Digital Curation Centre’s programme of Institutional Engagements (IEs), and describes how we continue to provide tailored support on Research Data Management (RDM) to the UK higher education sector.Between Spring 2011 and Spring 2013, the DCC ran a series of 21 Institutional Engagements. The engagement programme involved helping institutions to assess their needs, develop policy and strategy, and begin to implement a range of RDM services.We have conducted a synthesis and evaluation of the programme, analysing the types of assistance requested and the impact of our support. The findings and lessons to emerge from these exercises have informed our future strategy and helped reshape the programme.

Research Data Management in South Africa: How We Shape Up

This paper will explore some of the views that were expressed during the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) workshop held in cooperation with the UK's Digital Curation Centre (DCC) in March 2014. The event provided an ideal opportunity to assess librarians' views on the changing research data management landscape and to consider how these changes might affect the role of academic librarians in South Africa. The paper compares these views with experiences garnered through the DCC's work to support universities in the UK.