Managing Data in Institutional Repositories: Insights from OR12 Workshop

Using the IR to stimulate the management of data Chris Awre Institutional repositories and data OR12 workshop 9thJuly 2012

Data management at Hull JISC History DMP data management planning project October 2011 March 2012 We went out and talked to history academics about their data Feedback Thank you for asking I have lots of data, but I don t know what to do with it You can help me with this? Great! You mean I can manage it here at Hull? Institutional repositories and data OR12 workshop | 9 July 2012 | 2

What role did the IR play in this? Having the institutional repository made these conversations easier The academics liked the idea of a local solution Our experience with managing data in the IR helped to frame the conversation better It raised awareness and the profile of the IR for other materials as well (e.g., those research papers, hint, hint ) Our experience with data had highlighted we didn t need to be afraid of it Institutional repositories and data OR12 workshop | 9 July 2012 | 3

Institutional background Adopted Fedora as our institutional repository platform in 2005 Aimed to establish a platform that could scale, accommodate new file formats, and enables relationships between the objects being managed We have always sought to manage whatever the University needs us to, with little activity around research articles until recently Work on the JISC-funded REMAP project disseminated at OR08 in Southampton led to involvement in the Hydra project A partnership with Stanford and University of Virginia to create re-purposable repository solutions Institutional repositories and data OR12 workshop | 9 July 2012 | 4

First data We were approached by a research unit to act as a back-up to data that was being shared via a project website We worked together on establishing how they would like the data to appear and be managed Good experience Showcase example Raised various issues that we needed to address, assisting with repository development generally Project website switched its links to the repository Institutional repositories and data OR12 workshop | 9 July 2012 | 5

Why not a subject repository? To take an example of another deposited dataset The Domesday Book This data had been submitted to the History Data Service The academic involved wanted others to use this data But was concerned that the hoops to jump through to get it from the HDS were prohibitive Local IR offered a secondary source that was easier to get to IR for access, subject repository for preservation? But if an academic prefers a subject repository, fine We ll work with them on this Institutional repositories and data OR12 workshop | 9 July 2012 | 6

Recent developments and future steps Used Hydra s flexibility to enhance the metadata template for datasets Added visual value to raise profile Working to use DataCite API to embed DOIs in data records Acknowledge issue if, e.g., Data Archive does the same Looking ahead EPSRC roadmap requirement has enabled the shaping of what we should do next Experience has meant the IR is leading on this Working with ICT colleagues on future storage strategy and requirements Consideration of role of IR as data catalogue Institutional repositories and data OR12 workshop | 9 July 2012 | 7

Demo http://hydra.hull.ac.uk