Workflows: The practical day-to-day aspects of RDM

Are you managing data generated by research? Did you know that the ability to define and automate RDM workflow processes is one of the key ways of ensuring their quality, consistency and repeatability?

Our very own Matthew Addis (he’s the CTO here at Arkivum) has written a report (in collaboration with, and supported by, Jisc) that provides a unique overview of a range of RDM workflows used in Higher Education Institutions. It illustrative what’s possible, and what the best practices are, using case studies from Loughborough University, University of Southampton and Imperial College London to investigate and summarise key points.

Some of the case study examples explored in the report are:

• The practical steps researchers at Southampton are taking to meet EPSRC expectations for research data
• The day-to-day workflow for data publishing in the Computational Chemistry department at Imperial College London, and how they use DOIs to achieve their goals
• The use of hosted Figshare and Arkivum systems in combination with Loughborough’s current research information system (CRIS) and institutional repository
• How EPrints at ULCC supports the use of research metrics by using IRUS-UK, Altmetric and Google Analytics
• Ways to build bespoke websites on top of an IR in the creative arts
• How Archivematica can be used in conjunction with an IR or CRIS
• Linking EPrints publication and data repositories, e.g. for University of East London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Practical day-to-day aspects of RDM

Why are workflows so important in implementing and deploying an RDM system? Workflows help ensure clarity for all those involved, including researchers and support staff, by giving a clear description of what to do, how to do it, and when.

While there is currently a lot of activity in institutions around RDM policy; the raising of awareness of the need and benefits of RDM; and supporting researchers through guidelines and training, these activities can lack the detail needed on a practical day-to-day level. To paraphrase a researcher Matthew spoke to during the writing of the report:

Workflows are the actionable and practical day-to-day aspects of RDM.

As the researcher intones, workflows and their implementation in an RDM infrastructure helps fill this “I need to know what to actually do” gap.

What are the benefits?

The benefits of the workflow based approach explored in detail in the report include:

• Cost reduction particularly when scaling up RDM activities
• Lower barriers to use which helps ensure researcher participation
• Higher levels of confidence for an institution when addressing funding body expectations or tying to get the maximum value and impact from its research outputs.  

Much of this is, of course, simply part of good research practice where workflows can help to ensure that RDM gets embedded within day-to-day operations of an institution and its researchers. A goal that everyone who provides, maintains or uses RDM systems would agree with.

Clear direction and ideas

To conclude, the report will:

• Help you define your own RDM workflows based on best practices
• Provide you with clear direction and ideas for what to do, how to do it and when in a range of practical RDM scenarios
• Communicate simple workflows that will help embed RDM in the day-to-day operations of your researchers 

 To get a head start, click here to get your complimentary copy of the report.