Research Data Management (RDM) is gaining more and more attention in Germany: third-party funders require increasingly detailed Data Managements Plans, the NFDI [1] is picking up speed in supporting research infrastructures, data stewards (and similar support professionals) are hired.
This talk covers two aims: Firstly, it intends to raise awareness for RDM and to provide both terms and motivation for talking about and improving data handling. To this end, an overview of the basic concepts and personal as well as general benefits of RDM is given. The maxim is: "Documenting your research is like writing a love letter to your data. Love your data!"
Secondly, this talk will set a highlight on Data Stewardship at the institutional level. The vision that every researcher maintains good data management in compliance with good research practice requires the guidance and support by data stewards (and similar roles). Being embedded in the work environment, as is the case with institutional data stewards, can be helpful in providing tailored offers. Here, the tasks, ventures, and limitations of this role in this setting will be outlined.
RDM requires both individual as well as concerted commitment. Harmonizing RDM at the institutional level will bring us one step closer to generating FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) [2], open, and understandable data by default. Literature:
[1] NFDI: Nationale Forschungsdaten-Infrastruktur, https://www.nfdi.de/ (Accessed 2024-02-07)
[2] Wilkinson MD et al. “The FAIR Guiding Principles for Scientific Data Management and Stewardship.” Sci Data 3, no. 1. 2016: 1–9. DOI: https://doi.org/10/bdd4
