Managing Research Data

Book excerpt: This title defines what is required to achieve a culture of effective data management offering advice on the skills required, legal and contractual obligations, strategies and management plans and the data management infrastructure of specialists and services. Data management has become an essential requirement for information professionals over the last decade, particularly for those supporting the higher education research community, as more and more digital information is created and stored. As budgets shrink and funders of research demand evidence of value for money and demonstrable benefits for society, there is increasing pressure to provide plans for the sustainable management of data. Ensuring that important data remains discoverable, accessible and intelligible and is shared as part of a larger web of knowledge will mean that research has a life beyond its initial purpose and can offer real utility to the wider community. This edited collection, bringing together leading figures in the field from the UK and around the world, provides an introduction to all the key data issues facing the HE and information management communities. Each chapter covers a critical element of data management: • Why manage research data? • The lifecycle of data management • Research data policies: principles, requirements and trends • Sustainable research data • Data management plans and planning • Roles and responsibilities – libraries, librarians and data • Research data management: opportunities and challenges for HEIs • The national data centres • Contrasting national research data strategies: Australia and the USA • Emerging infrastructure and services for research data management and curation in the UK and Europe Readership: This is essential reading for librarians and information professionals working in the higher education sector, the research community, policy makers and university managers. It will also be a useful introduction for students taking courses in information management, archivists and national library services.