Research data management: why is it important?

Abstract

Research Data Management is a hot topic these days, with research funders making it a requirement for institutions that they fund. This report will give an overview of research data management (RDM) activities, Data Curation Profiles (DCPs) and RDM training for librarians and support staff. It will focus on the importance of planning for both data preservation and data sharing from the very start of a research project, and the various ethical issues relating to the subsequent sharing of data that is increasingly a research funder requirement. Finally, it will highlight the range of potential RDM support roles that might emerge within institutions, and the requirement for adequate training of librarians and other support staff to enable them to meet the challenges that these new activities and responsibilities might present.