Issues in Data Management

Data Management Circuit Board Image
How are you saving your data?

Data Management has been a hot topic for several years. Many people have written about self-motivated archiving versus mandated arching. A significant issue is that of cost, who is going to foot the bill for storing and maintaining all this data that we so blithely generate?

Librarians and information technology professionals have collaborated with researchers to build and maintain domain and institutional repositories, making them the perfect people to provide consultation on the creation of data management plans.

Free Resources:

Data Management libraries web page This is the webpage we provide for researchers who are looking for information on creating data mangement plans. (Please note some of this information is specific to my university.)

Data Management LibGuide This guide provides detailed explanations about many data management terms and issues. It also provides links to many other resources on data management and curation.?(Please note some of this information is specific to my university.)

Suddenly I’m consulting on data management plans Handout This handout was created for a short SLA webcast where I was asked to briefly go over everything you need to know to consult on data management plans. This checklist was created to help consultants ensure that they’ve checked all their bases when offering a consultation.

FigShare is good option for researchers who do not have an institutional or domain repository and need somewhere to put their data. It is securely backed up and researchers can determine when and how much of their data is shared on an item by item basis.

Professional Development
Together with my colleague Dee Ann Allison I am co-teaching two ACRL eLearning events focused on data management plans.

What You Need to Know about Writing Data Management Plans (April 7-25, 2014)
This course teaches participants about the elements of a successful data management plan, and provides practice critiquing data management plans in a supportive learning environment where no grant funding is at stake.? Join two experienced data management plan consultants with experience in liaison librarianship and information technology as they demonstrate how all librarians have the ability to successfully consult on data management plan.

An Introduction to Data Management Plans (May 27, 2014)
Examine the elements of a data management plan, learning about data repository and preservation options, discuss the pros and cons of providing boilerplate language to researchers, and learn about tips and tricks for dealing with unique data management issues.