This page is no longer maintained, see the replacement on the UWS eResearch web site
The UWS Research Data Repository is
being built and rolled out starting in mid 2012. It will be managed, backed-up
service for researchers to store digital data, from working data that is
changing and being actively used to archival data that can be used to support
the published findings, comply with legal, ethical and funder requirements for
data retention and serve as a platform for data re-use. The Office of Research
Services will assist researchers is planning to use the RDR throughout their
research projects, helping to improve the quality and reach of UWS research,
and aiding researchers in complying with grant-funder requirements around open
access to publications and data. There are two key components to the
repository. The
Research Data Store (RDS) is the storage component of the service, this
will be managed by Information Technology Services (ITS), with support via
self-service options for simple storage needs, and via the Service Desk for
more complex requirements. The RDS will
be designed to be easy to access for researchers from all disciplines via standard services that suit the researchers involved, such as shared drives (the ‘R’ drive
for research), Dropbox-like services for easy data sharing, and more
sophisticated connections to research infrastructure such as version control
systems, databases, and discipline specific data management applications. Included in
this component are all the maintenance processes and hardware support required
to manage availability of the data, keeping it private when needed and making
it publicly available whenever possible. The Research Data Catalogue, managed by
the UWS Library, will keep track of the data in the storage service and prevent
the all too common problem of storage filling up, with no documentation about
what all the data is for. The catalogue will keep track of how long data should
be kept, how it can be reused, and advertise appropriate data for re-use both
within UWS and with potential collaborators. The
RDR project is important to researchers because it will: Provide much-needed data security in a centrally
managed way (no more will researchers be forced into disk drives and being
responsible for backups). Make compliance with national, university and
funder requirements for data as easy and painless as possible. Allow researchers to advertise and optionally
publish their data for re-use and citation by collaborators. The Research Data Repository project is the flagship eResearch project for 2012/2013. Read the project intro.
Complete list of posts relating to the RDR: