Summer Quarter Research Data Management Workshop @ UW Libraries

Do you create or use data in your research? Looking for tips and tools to better help you manage your research data, and preserve it for long-term use?

From August 13-16, the UW Libraries is offering Research Data Management Planning, an asynchronous online workshop for UW community members engaged in research with data. Topics will include getting started with data management planning, funder requirements for data sharing, metadata, tips to help keep you organized, sharing, archiving and preservation, and an introduction to tools and on-campus support to aid researchers.

Note: We will be offering two concurrent versions of this class, one for health sciences researchers, the other for multiple disciplines outside of health sciences. When you register for the class, please indicate which version of the class you’d like to attend. Thank you!

Full course information and link to registration is below. Contact us with any questions.

Data Management Planning Workshop

A free, tutor-supported online workshop

August 13 -16, 2018

Duration: Monday, August 13 - Thursday, August 16 (4 days)

Time Commitment: Approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour per day, for 4 straight days
Target audience: UW community members engaged in research with data
Prerequisites: Access to the internet for each of the 4 days identified. A valid UW NetID is also required.

Description:

• This module-based workshop consists of activities and peer discussion forums that will provide tips on how to effectively plan for data management over the lifecycle of your research project. 
• By asking students to share experiences with one another, this workshop gives you the opportunity to reflect on your research workflow and to see how various techniques and tools can be employed to most effectively manage, share and preserve your data.

 
Participation Process:

• This workshop will take place in Canvas over 4 days, with no fixed participation times (asynchronous).
• Each day corresponds to one online module, which includes a topic overview, resources, activity, and peer discussion forum.
• Discussion forums are the workshop's primary means of 'assessment,' so expect to post to forums daily.
• You will be guided through the course by a team of friendly librarian tutors, who will answer questions and provide feedback.

How to Join:

• If interested, please register via this Catalyst link no later than Friday, August 10, 2018.
• Space in the workshop is limited, and participants will be accepted on a first-come-first-served basis. Students who register after capacity is reached may be placed on a wait list.

 
Comments from previous class participants:

• This is a great workshop -- exposing me to a lot of considerations about data management that I did not know about. The tutor responses have been really helpful. I was unaware of the data librarians on campus and will definitely reach out to them for more resources. Thank you!
• Very helpful and important for anyone working with data.
• I was really impressed with this workshop. It had so many wonderful resources and I learned a lot. The tutors were fantastic. ... The materials were great and easy to understand as well. It was good to know I'm heading in the right direction with data management and know how to really improve my data management. I come from an interpretive/qualitative background and often this type of research activity is learned on the job or through learning what not to do the next time around, so having this type of workshop can really help people like me prepare a lot better for the next big project. Thank you for all your hard work!
• Very helpful at all levels of experience

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Data Services Team.

Spring Quarter Research Data Management Workshop

Do you create or use data in your research? Looking for tips and tools to better help you manage your research data, and preserve it for long-term use?

From April 2-5, the UW Libraries is offering Data Management Planning, an asynchronous online workshop for UW community members engaged in research with data. Topics will include getting started with data management planning, funder requirements for data sharing, metadata, tips to help keep you organized, sharing, archiving and preservation, and an introduction to tools and on-campus support to aid researchers.

Note: we will be offering two concurrent versions of this class, one for health sciences researchers, the other for multiple disciplines outside of health sciences. When you register for the class, please indicate which version of the class you’d like to attend.

Full course information and link to registration is below. Contact us with any questions.

Data Management Planning Workshop

A free, tutor-supported online learning workshop

April 2-5, 2018

Duration: Monday, April 2 - Thursday, April 5 (4 days)
Time Commitment: Approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour per day, for 4 straight days
Target audience: UW community members engaged in research with data.
Prerequisites: Access to the internet for each of the 4 days identified. A valid UW NetID is also required.

Description: 

• This module-based workshop consists of activities and peer discussion forums that will provide tips on how to effectively plan for data management over the lifecycle of your research project.
• By asking students to share experiences with one another, this workshop gives you the opportunity to reflect on your research workflow and to see how various techniques and tools can be employed to most effectively manage, share and preserve your data.

Participation Process:

• This workshop will take place in Canvas over 4 days, with no fixed participation times (asynchronous).
• Each day corresponds to one online module, which includes a topic overview, resources, activity, and peer discussion forum.
• >Discussion forums are the workshop's primary means of 'assessment,' so expect to post to forums daily.
• You will be guided through the course by a team of friendly librarian tutors, who will answer questions and provide feedback.

How to Join:

• If interested, please register via this Catalyst link no later than March 30, 2018.
• Space in the workshop is limited, and participants will be accepted on a first-come-first-served basis. Students who register after capacity is reached may be placed on a wait list.

Comments from previous class participants:

• This is a great workshop -- exposing me to a lot of considerations about data management that I did not know about. The tutor responses have been really helpful. I was unaware of the data librarians on campus and will definitely reach out to them for more resources. Thank you!
• Very interactive with tutors appearing to be enthusiastic and eager to pitch in their ideas for any questions the workshop participants had. Thank you!
• Very helpful at all levels of experience
• Very helpful and important for anyone working with data.
• I was really impressed with this workshop. It had so many wonderful resources and I learned a lot. The tutors were fantastic. ... The materials were great and easy to understand as well. It was good to know I'm heading in the right direction with data management and know how to really improve my data management. I come from an interpretive/qualitative background and often this type of research activity is learned on the job or through learning what not to do the next time around, so having this type of workshop can really help people like me prepare a lot better for the next big project. Thank you for all your hard work!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Data Services team.

Summer Quarter Research Data Management Workshop @ UW Libraries

Do you create or use data in your research? Looking for tips and tools to better help you manage your research data, and preserve it for long-term use?

From August 14-17, the UW Libraries is offering Data Management Planning, an asynchronous online workshop for UW community members engaged in research with data. Topics will include getting started with data management planning, funder requirements for data sharing, metadata, tips to help keep you organized, sharing, archiving and preservation, and an introduction to tools and on-campus support to aid researchers.

Note: we will be offering two concurrent versions of this class, one for health sciences researchers, the other for multiple disciplines outside of health sciences. When you register for the class, please indicate which version of the class you’d like to attend. Thank you!

Full course information and link to registration is below. Contact us with any questions.

Data Management Planning Workshop

A free, tutor-supported online workshop

August 14 -17, 2017

Duration: Monday, August 14 - Thursday, August 17 (4 days)

Time Commitment: Approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour per day, for 4 straight days

Target audience: UW community members engaged in research with data.

Prerequisites: Access to the internet for each of the 4 days identified. A valid UW NetID is also required.

Description:

• This module-based workshop consists of activities and peer discussion forums that will provide tips on how to effectively plan for data management over the lifecycle of your research project.
• By asking students to share experiences with one another, this workshop gives you the opportunity to reflect on your research workflow and to see how various techniques and tools can be employed to most effectively manage, share and preserve your data.

Participation Process:

• This workshop will take place in Canvas over 4 days, with no fixed participation times (asynchronous).
• Each day corresponds to one online module, which includes a topic overview, resources, activity, and peer discussion forum.
• Discussion forums are the workshop's primary means of 'assessment,' so expect to post to forums daily.
• You will be guided through the course by a team of friendly librarian tutors, who will answer questions and provide feedback.

How to Join:

• If interested, please register via this Catalyst link no later than Friday, August 11, 2017.
• Space in the workshop is limited, and participants will be accepted on a first-come-first-served basis. Students who register after capacity is reached may be placed on a wait list.

Comments from previous class participants:

• This is a great workshop -- exposing me to a lot of considerations about data management that I did not know about. The tutor responses have been really helpful. I was unaware of the data librarians on campus and will definitely reach out to them for more resources. Thank you!
• Very interactive with tutors appearing to be enthusiastic and eager to pitch in their ideas for any questions the workshop participants had. Thank you!
• Very helpful at all levels of experience
• Very helpful and important for anyone working with data.
•  I was really impressed with this workshop. It had so many wonderful resources and I learned a lot. The tutors were fantastic. ... The materials were great and easy to understand as well. It was good to know I'm heading in the right direction with data management and know how to really improve my data management. I come from an interpretive/qualitative background and often this type of research activity is learned on the job or through learning what not to do the next time around, so having this type of workshop can really help people like me prepare a lot better for the next big project. Thank you for all your hard work!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Data Services Team.

Winter Quarter Data Management Planning Workshop

Do you create or use data in your research? Looking for tips and tools to better help you manage your research data, and preserve it for long-term use?

On January 30, the UW Libraries is offering Data Management Planning, an asynchronous online workshop for UW community members engaged in research with data. Topics will include getting started with data management planning, funder requirements for data sharing, metadata, tips to help keep you organized, sharing, archiving and preservation, and an introduction to tools and on-campus support to aid researchers.

Full course information and link to registration is below. Contact us with any questions.

Data Management Planning Workshop

A free, tutor-supported online workshop

January 30 - February 2, 2017

Duration: Monday, January 30 - Thursday, February 2 (4 days)

Time Commitment: Approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour per day, for 4 straight days

Target audience: UW community members engaged in research with data.

Prerequisites: Access to the internet for each of the 4 days identified. A valid UW NetID is also required.

Description:

• This module-based workshop consists of activities and peer discussion forums that will provide tips on how to effectively plan for data management over the lifecycle of your research project.

• By asking students to share experiences with one another, this workshop gives you the opportunity to reflect on your research workflow and to see how various techniques and tools can be employed to most effectively manage, share and preserve your data.

Participation Process:

• This workshop will take place in Canvas over 4 days, with no fixed participation times (asynchronous).

• Each day corresponds to one online module, which includes a topic overview, resources, activity, and peer discussion forum.

• Discussion forums are the workshop's primary means of 'assessment,' so expect to post to forums daily.

• You will be guided through the course by a team of friendly librarian tutors, who will answer questions and provide feedback.

How to Join:

• If interested, please register via this Catalyst link no later than Friday, January 27, 2017.

• Space in the workshop is limited, and participants will be accepted on a first-come-first-served basis. Students who register after capacity is reached may be placed on a wait list.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Data Services Team.

Upcoming Data Management Planning Workshop

Do you create or use data in your research? Looking for tips and tools to better help you manage your research data, and preserve it for long-term use?

On August 22, the UW Libraries is offering Data Management Planning, an asynchronous online workshop for UW community members engaged in research with data. Topics will include getting started with data management planning, funder requirements for data sharing, metadata, tips to help keep you organized, sharing, archiving and preservation, and an introduction to tools and on-campus support to aid researchers.

Full course information and link to registration is below. Contact us with any questions.

Data Management Planning Workshop

A free, tutor-supported online workshop

August 22 - 25, 2016

Duration: Monday, August 22, 2016 - Thursday, August 25, 2016 (4 days)

Time Commitment: Approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour per day, for 4 straight days

Target audience: UW community members engaged in research with data.

Prerequisites: Access to the internet for each of the 4 days identified. A valid UW NetID is also required.

Description:

• This module-based workshop consists of activities and peer discussion forums that will provide tips on how to effectively plan for data management over the lifecycle of your research project.
• By asking students to share experiences with one another, this workshop gives you the opportunity to reflect on your research workflow and to see how various techniques and tools can be employed to most effectively manage, share and preserve your data.

Participation Process:

• This workshop will take place in Canvas over 4 days, with no fixed participation times (asynchronous).
• Each day corresponds to one online module, which includes a topic overview, resources, activity, and peer discussion forum.
• Discussion forums are the workshop's primary means of 'assessment,' so expect to post to forums daily.
• You will be guided through the course by a team of friendly librarian tutors, who will answer questions and provide feedback.

How to Join:

• If interested, please register via this Catalyst link no later than Friday, August 19, 2016.
• Space in the workshop is limited, and participants will be accepted on a first-come-first-served basis. Students who register after capacity is reached may be placed on a wait list.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Data Services Team.

Data Librarianship Educational Resources

Last year I had the opportunity to take several online training courses related to data librarianship and data science, several of which are being repeated this year or are ongoing. For those looking for beginner-level information, these resources can be very helpful in understanding what data management is, how the library can and should be involved, and what it means to be a data librarian (a difficult-to-define term at best). I've also included a few non-course resources that may be of interest. If you have additional resources you'd like to see on this list, let me know in the comments.

So, to kick off 2015 with some educational resources, here's what's covered below:

• Research Data Management, Library Juice Academy
• What You Need to Know About Writing Data Management Plans, ACRL
• Essentials 4 Data Support, Research Data Netherlands
• Data Scientists Toolbox, Coursera
• Data Information Literacy, book by Carlson and Johnston
• The Mendeley group Data Management for Librarians
• Databrarians.org

Class: Research Data Management
Source: Library Juice Academy
Instructor(s): Jillian Wallis, UCLA
Format: scheduled online class
When: March 2-27, 2015
Cost: $175
Website: http://libraryjuiceacademy.com/082-data-management.php

Taken from the course description, the purpose of this class is to "explore the processes of data production and data management, and the role of LIS professional and institutions in supporting data producers." The class is geared toward academic librarians, but is open to anyone. It covers the following topics:

• The role and lifecycle of research data
• Stakeholders and stakes in data management
• Data sharing and data reuse
• Data selection and appraisal
• Repositories and registries
• Data management standards
• Tools for writing funder-required data management plans
• The role of institutions and institutional libraries

Participants read up on current policy and research, and prepare a DMP or data policy or something similar as a final project. There are a lot of readings, and although the Library Juice website says there is approximately 15 hours of work for a four-week course, the instructor's introductory email said to expect each week's work to take at least 8 hours, taking the expected workload from 15 to 32 hours. I found that I was indeed spending 8-10 hours a week to complete the readings and assignments, and stay on top of the course forums. It's possible they've lightened the reading load for this year, but be prepared.

The 2014 technology was a bit buggy: sometimes readings were popups, sometimes a download, sometimes you were taken to a new page. Technical support is iffy -- when I asked for assistance locating two PDFs that were referenced but not linked, I was told I should be able to find them online. I think a class geared toward working professionals should have all the readings immediately available.

There is a strong background given in technical information about workflows and the data lifecycle and all its variations, much of which is looked at from the academic side of things (the instructor has a PhD in information science and teaches in the Information Department at UCLA), rather than that of a practicing researcher. Some of this may be old to a practicing data librarian, or it may be that the theoretical underpinnings of data management are of lesser importance to a librarian who is trying to help develop DMP consolations for researchers, but the background is helpful to understand current policy and practice for various funding agencies and archives. And working on the final project with peers and the instructor available for help is very useful to someone new to DMPs.

Class: What You Need to Know About Writing Data Management Plans
Source: ACRL
Instructor(s): Dee Ann Allison, Professor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Kiyomi Deards, Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Format: scheduled online class
When: April 27 - May 15, 2015
Cost: varies, $60 for a student, up to $195 for non-members 
Website: http://libraryjuiceacademy.com/082-data-management.php

This course is focused specifically on DMPs, with a little background on data management concepts in general. Learning outcomes from ACRL: 

• List specific data depository resources in order to formulate recommendations for researchers to securely deposit and share their data.

• Learn about how different funding agencies, and departments within those agencies, have different requirements for data management plans in order to determine how to effectively advise each researcher according to the requirements for their specific plan.

• Analyze sample data management plans in order to develop an understanding of what constitutes a thorough data management plan.

Topics covered include data and metadata definitions, open data formats, dark archives, repositories, long-term preservation for data and sharing strategies. The course forums for this class were active, and strongly relevant to the weekly readings and assignments. The final project (for my group) was to develop a DMP for a project one of us had been working on or with, and it was very useful to be able to see a real-life example, rather than a case study. Sample DMPs were also evaluated from various disciplines, giving some good examples of variety across fields.

This class is much more aligned with the needs of practicing librarians who need education on what a DMP is and how to construct one. Most in my cohort were other academic librarians with varying levels of experience; this was helpful when we were put in groups for our final project, as each student brought different skills to the table, and we could all benefit from each other's expertise.

There were again some bugs: lots of typos throughout materials, PDFs that opened but disrupted the navigation of the class, a few problems the first week with assignments that couldn't be uploaded. As 2014 was (I believe) the first year this particular course was offered, I would hope that some of these issues have been worked out.

The final group chat for the course was a good place for last thoughts, as well as for shared resources either discovered during the class, or information people use in their own work. This final chat was shared out via email to students, which was great for those who couldn't attend the last virtual class meeting.

Class: Essentials 4 Data Support
Source: Research Data Netherlands
Format: self-paced online class
When: anytime/ongoing
Cost: three levels: free for online class, free with registration for class + forums, $ for in-person workshops (if you're close to Delft)
Website: http://datasupport.researchdata.nl/en  

This class is perfect for those who need to know more about supporting those working with research data, but don't necessarily need or want a class with readings and homework (which, btw, can be necessary sometimes to make yourself do something!). It's particularly geared toward data librarians, IT staff, and researchers -- anyone with responsibility for data management. A list of competencies the course is meant to address is available here, but in general, the class was developed to teach "the basic knowledge and skills (essentials) to enable a data supporter to take the first steps toward supporting researchers in storing, managing, archiving and sharing their research data." 

For practicing librarians who need to get up to speed on data management, this is the place to go. It assumes a common background knowledge, yet presents information on data management in a simple and direct way, with additional resources and readings if needed. No special software is needed, it's a very simple and well-designed website, and it's easy to dip into the topics you need to know, leaving the rest for later.

There are six sections to the course, each of which provides an overview and objectives, the content of the section, and additional resources and readings. If you provide your email address and register, you're also able to participate in the forums (though most of the comments are in Dutch). Activities are included for some sections, all reading links are provided in the text, and no single page is too long, meaning students can come in and out of the course as time allows. It's a great source to provide information for librarians new to RDM and/or DMPs, and is useful as background before additional in-person discussion or instruction at your local institution. 

Class: Data Scientists Toolbox
Source: Coursera
Instructor(s): various, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Format: scheduled online class, part of the Data Science Specialization series
When: many start dates, usually monthly 
Cost: free unless you want a certificate ($29)
Website: http://libraryjuiceacademy.com/082-data-management.php

This class is the first of 9 classes (plus a capstone) that are part of the Coursera/Johns Hopkins Data Science Specialization. This first class is a good introduction to what "data, questions and tools that data analysts and data scientists work with." The class is divided into two parts, the first of which is a basic introduction to what a data scientist does. The second is an introduction to the some of the tools of the trade, including markdown, git, R, GitHub, etc. If you're new to data librarianship are need to be able to understand what your researchers are doing, this will give you a broad understanding of what data scientists do, and will help you understand a bit more about data sharing and open science.

A few additional educational resources: 

• Data Information Literacy: Librarians, Data, and the Education of a New Generation of Researchers, by Carlson and Johnston. Published in late 2014, this book looks at what role librarians can play in helping a new generation of graduate students in STEM disciplines develop the competencies needed to manage research data. Material in the book comes from the work done by the authors and others for an IMLS-funded Digital Information Literacy project. 
• The Mendeley group Data Management for Librarians, owned by Kevin Read, is a place to share literature and resources about data management, curation, citation, sharing, etc.
• Databrarians.org is a collaborative blog started in late 2014 aimed at sharing "resources, tips, conversations and strategies so that all of us can more effectively bring data resources to the people in our library communities." It's had a handful of posts from data librarians at different stages of their career, and is hoping to draw a larger audience via contributed posts. With the right participation, this could become a useful resource.

Data Librarianship Workshop for UW Libraries staff: Archives & Repositories

There are so many archives and repositories out there it can be difficult to know where to start looking to help someone in your field (or especially a field you’re not familiar with). This workshop, to be held Wednesday, January 28 from 2-3:30pm in the Allen Auditorium, will look at some of the categories of archives and repositories, and we’ll have time to share some of the similarities and differences across disciplines. We’ll also talk about some of the usage and ethics considerations that come into play when researchers share their data.

The workshop is open to all Libraries staff. Prior to the workshop, please identify 1-2 repositories in your subject area. Take 5-10 minutes and explore:

·

• How easy it is to search for data
• How easy it is to deposit data
• What the depositor policies are
• What kind of metadata the repository collects
• Other general impressions

A good place to start (other than google) is www.databib.org.

This workshop is the second of three workshops on data librarianship. The third will be held Wednesday, April 29^th from 2-3:30pm in Allen Auditorium, and will focus on data management plans.

Questions can be left in the comments below.

Upcoming Conferences and Sessions and Workshops, Oh My!

Since beginning to follow groups and conferences relevant to data management issues for information professionals in November 2012, I've known that there is always something upcoming in the not-too-distant future that looks fascinating and informative. There is a panoply happening right now, though, that could have us all booked out of the office for the bulk of 2013 (given inexhaustible travel budgets, that is). Here are a few upcoming events that have caught my eye:

• Happening right now is Open Repositories 2013 (#or2013) in Prince Edward Island, CA, July 8-12. I've been following the twitter feed via the hashtag and Storify; lots of interesting talk going on around data policies, data curation methods and technologies, the research lifecycle...
• The University of East London has been training various types of staff on research data management over the last year. They're summarizing some of their work at a daylong workshop, "Support for support: training those in RDM support roles," July 16, London, UK. I'm currently working my way through some of UEL's online curriculum offerings for librarians, and very much wish I could be there for this session.
• For those interested in the metadata side of scientific data, Camp-4-Data in Lisbon, Portugal, on September 6, will be exploring many facets of metadata standards used to manage scientific data. This is being held just before iPres, the 10th International Conference on the Preservation of Digital Objects, and DCMI, the International Conference on Dublin Core and Metadata Applications. Head in a whirl yet?
• The HathiTrust Research Center UnCamp 2013, September 8-9, Urbana, IL, is targeted to digital humanities tool developers, researchers and librarians of HathiTrust institutions, and will include hands-on coding and demonstration, use cases, and community building in an un-conference programmming format. Register early to help form the program.
• Data Information Literacy Symposium, West Lafayette, IN, September 23-24. This workshop will "explore roles for practicing librarians in teaching competencies in data management and curation to graduate students." Registration for this is currently full, but following via twitter should be interesting.
• The Digital Humanities Data Curation Workshop is being held in College Park, MD, October 16-18. Their resource guide is a great place to start if you can't attend one of their workshops.
• The 2013 Digital Library Foundation Forum, November 4-6 in Austin, TX. Proposed sessions include one on using a CRM tool to track data management services in an academic library, one on the influence of faculty rank on attitudes toward research data management, several presentations on encouraging better and more specific use of metadata, fostering a culture of data sharing among researchers, data management education for librarians and researchers...

I'm sure there are others out there that I missed; if you have a suggestion, please add it in the comments below.