C4D at UK Pure User Group

The recent User Pure UK User Group meeting hosted by Royal Holloway University London, Feb 1st and 2nd 2012, discussed linking research data to other entities in Pure and were very interested in the Cerif for Datasets project and would like to be kept informed of progress.

C4D Poster

Just printed of the C4D posters. These will be a available in the foyer of Research & Enterprise here at Glasgow and at tomorrows meeting.

 

David

PS. Just to say I’m new here, just started working in R&E in Glasgow on the 16th of February and I look forward to meeting some of you tomorrow.  

Data centres: their use, value and impact

This report provides an analysis of the usage and impact of a number of research data centres, representing a cross-section of research disciplines in the UK.

The study aimed to demonstrate the importance, relevance and benefits of effective sharing and curation of research data for the UK research community. It looked at the long-term usage and impact of data curated by a cross-disciplinary selection of established data centres.

Using quantitative and qualitative approaches, the study gathered evidence on the extent data centres have been useful to the research community. As part of a wider body of work, this evidence will help to build a case for improving data sharing practice in the UK.

The RIN and the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) commissioned Technopolis Ltd to undertake this work.

Attachments

• Data Centres: their use, value and impact – report

Information handling in collaborative research – an exploration of five cast studies

Between October 2010 and June 2011, TNS-BMRB conducted a study on behalf of the Research Information Network (RIN) and the British Library (BL), exploring the challenges to information handling in collaborative research and providing recommendations for potential interventions to help enhance effectiveness.

Information handling is used here to encompass all pre-existing and new information sourced, organised, stored, shared and disseminated during a collaborative research project.

This study was commisioned by the RIN and British Library to provide empirical evidence of the challengers faced by researchers working in collaborations through the examination of five case-studies, all involving at least one HEI and external partners and selected to reflect a range of variables. The case studies comprised:

• a large multinational collaboration involving pharmaceutical companies and HEIs;
• a large European co-ordinated action between HEIs and public bodies involved with end-of-life care;
• a medium sized UK based project on material and engineering involving HEIs and a mix of commercial partners including large multinational industrial organisations, SME manufacturers and University spin-outs;
• a small knowledge transfer partnership, developing a software and hardware package for use in residential care, involving one SME and on HEI;
• and a small exploratory collaboration involving a mix of commerical and third sector organisations, and a HEI

The case studies were preceded by a literatur review and followed by four workshops that tested and built on findings to rach a number or recommendations for improved practice.

A copy of the collaborative report can be found by clicking here

C4D Progress update

Work on the first deliverable is, and has been, progressing steadily.

Visits to St Andrews University and the University of Glasgow proved invaluable in helping to identify the needs of the stakeholders from the perspective of researchers who have existing datasets, researchers who may want to find existing datasets, and also from the perspective of those who have a responsibility for datasets within their own organisations.

An initial discussion with Gerry Lawson was also helpful in helping to identify what the research councils/funding bodies need and what their main drivers are.

Metadata standards that support a variety of disciplines and some classification schemes have been examined. It appears that there is some overlap in the terminology used in the metadata standards from different disciplines – this may, potentially, prove beneficial.

A mapping exercise of some (selected) standards to potential CERIF entities has been carried out with a secondary aim of identifying a minimum subset of terms for classification, administration and discovery. The mapping exercise supports the overlap of terminology and shows where, potentially, there are existing CERIF entities to support metadata.

Semantics is an area where there has been some initial discussion with Brigitte Jorg but still needs further consideration and discussion.

Work is continuing on the entity mapping and the ontology.