Open Science training handbook launches
A new training handbook has just launched online as a Gitbook, with the aim to create an open, living handbook on Open Science training.
Written by 14 experts during a book sprint at the TIB (German National Library of Science and Technology) in Hannover, the book offers guidance and resources for Open Science instructors and trainers, as well as anyone interested in improving levels of transparency and participation in research practices.
Full of practical instructions, training activities and inspiration, the authors are happy to receive contributions and feedback about its use in practice while working towards version 2.0.
Read the handbook on GitBook.
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A forward-thinking approach to data policy: learning from two of the best
A recent briefing from SPARC Europe shows that while there has been significant growth in research data policy in the last decade, the range and content of these varies greatly - particularly in regards to data management plans (DMPs), open data and FAIR data.
The briefing compares the approach of the Wellcome Trust and the European Commission and gives examples of how their policies are driving change and inspiring the development of Open Research policies throughout Europe.
You can read the full briefing on the SPARC Europe website.
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Scraping Google Scholar for data
Alberto Martín-Martín, a PhD student who studies bibliometrics and science communication at the University of Granada in Spain, spent a whole summer harvesting information from Google Scholar, the free search engine for scholarly information and literature.
He talks to the journal ‘Nature’ about how and why he did it, and why he would like the platform, which is notoriously hard to mine, to make its data more easily available.
Read the interview on the Nature wesbite.
Read the full paper on SocArXiv.
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Thoughts from the RDA 11th Plenary in Berlin
Sarah Jones, Associate Director at the Digital Curation Centre (DCC), writes about her recent trip to Germany for the Research Data Alliance (RDA) Eleventh Plenary Meeting in Berlin, which explored the theme ‘From Data to Knowledge’. Read her article ‘DCC & RDA: acronym soup’.
Her DCC colleague Jimmy Angelakos was also at the conference and has written a blog about his thoughts and reflections, with a focus on data management plans, ‘Active DMP Excitement’.
The RDA 11th Plenary Meeting took place in Berlin from 21-23 March 2018. You can now find many of the talks and recordings on the website.
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New Chinese data regulations puzzle researchers
The Chinese government has announced that all scientific data generated in China must be submitted to government-sanctioned data centres before appearing in publications. At the same time, the regulations call for open access and data sharing.
These conflicting directives are puzzling researchers, as the new data centres may have room to interpret the rules.
Read more on the Science website.
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Blockchain Technology Catalyst Grants
VIVO and Datax have been announced as recipients of a one-off grant from research technology company Digital Science. The ‘Blockchain Catalyst Grant’ was made available to any project implementing blockchain in a scholarly or scientific context, especially those that addressed the dissemination of research.
Blockchain technology is already changing the financial and logistics industries, and this grant was created to recognise its potential to create innovative new tools and platforms to improve scholarly communication.
Find out more about the grant and the two recipients on the Digital Science website.
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What effect does my research have on the world?
Impactful research plays a huge role in society, from health and technology to culture and the economy. Measuring impact is essential to any research project and every academic will have pondered this question at some point in their career.
Rachel Oldroyd, UK Data Service Data Impact Fellow, explores a very real question facing researchers.
Read the full article on the UK Data Service website.
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Is evidence based medicine corrupt?
Nephrologist Dr Jason Fung believes that while the idea of evidence based medicine is great, the reality is somewhat different. Evidence based medicine (EBM) is an approach to medical practice that uses the current best evidence from well-designed and conducted research, to make decisions about the care of patients. In his article on Medium, Dr Fung questions whether it’s still possible to believe much of the clinical research that is published, and highlights the implications of false or corrupt evidence.
He talks about selective publication, rigging outcomes, money from reprints and bribery. “If the evidence base is tampered with, and paid for, then EBM as a science is completely useless. Indeed, the very editors whose entire careers have been EBM have now discovered it to be worthless.”
Read the full article on Medium.
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Dangling carrots for academic researchers
Grace Baynes, Vice President, Data & New Product Development for Open Research at Springer Nature, looks at ways of encouraging researchers and institutions to achieve “real open science”.
Despite funder policies that encourage and require data sharing, researchers in both the UK and the US report lower percentages of data sharing than the global average. Grace suggests researchers should be given incentives, expert support, training, and the infrastructure to make it seamless and easy to share data, and worth their while. Governments, funders, research institutions, libraries, and publishers all have a role to play to unlock the huge potential of research data.
Read the full article on the LSE Impact Blog.
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General Data Protection Regulation
The General Data Protection Regulation will come into force on 25 May 2018. It aims to give more control over personal data and simplify the regulations for organisations and businesses processing data of EU residents.
To this effect, we have updated our privacy notices which can be found at the bottom of the newsletter. If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, please let us know by unsubscribing below.
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Anthropological Research, Data Management and Sharing and Ethics Event
9 May, 13.30 - 17.00, SOAS University of London
SOAS University is hosting an event organised by the Anthropology Department, Research Office and Library, 'Is Anthropology Legal? Conversations between Anthropologists and Professional Data Managers'.
The event is open to anybody who uses anthropological or ethnographic research methods or if you want to find out the latest information on how the GDPR will affect you and your research.
To find out more and register your place, visit the Eventbrite website.
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OSC Training Workshops - Open Research for PhD students
9 May, 16 May, 23 May, 30 May, 6 June, 13 June, Cambridge
The Office of Scholarly Communication is offering an Easter Term programme of training workshops for Cambridge PhD students in Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS).
Sign up now to explore the whys and hows of open research, learn essential tips for managing your data, and discover more ways to publish your research and gain citations.
View the timetable of events and sign up for a session on the University of Cambridge training website.
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Managing your research data effectively and working reproducibly for beginners
Monday 14 May, 09:30 - 13:00, 8 Mill Lane, Lecture Room 7, Cambridge
This workshop will work through the challenges around managing research data as well as the benefits of working reproducibly. Participants will be provided with in depth guidance and resources on how to effectively manage projects and avoid data loss throughout the research process.
The workshop is aimed at Cambridge STEM graduate students, and can be booked on the University of Cambridge training website.
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Webinar: Data management basics
Thursday 17 May, 15:00 - 16:00
This introductory webinar run by the UK Data Service is intended for anyone who wants to learn about research data management. It provides an overview of how to manage, document, store and safeguard research data well and how to plan and implement good data management in research projects, with a view to optimising data sharing.
To book a place, sign up on the UK Data Service website.
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Webinar: Key issues in reusing data
Tuesday 22 May, 15:00 - 16:00
This introductory session from the UK Data Service will briefly cover the pros and cons of reusing data and the importance of learning about the origins of your data.
Quantitative and qualitative secondary analysis will be discussed with examples and issues of context, sampling and ethics will be raised. In order to follow the content of the webinar attendees should already be familiar with the basic methods of qualitative or quantitative data research.
To book a place, sign up on the UK Data Service website.
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Webinar: What is an RDA Europe Node and how to get involved
Wednesday 23 May, 12:00 (13:00 CEST)
This webinar will tell you more about the application process for becoming a new Research Data Alliance (RDA) Europe node. The RDA has recently established a network of national nodes who engage with research communities, support national agendas, contribute to the EU Open Science Strategy, and aim to increase the uptake of standards and participation in RDA globally.
Visit the webinar page to register your interest.
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Towards cultural change in data management - data stewardship in practice
Thursday 24 May, 9:30 - 6:00, TU Delft
TU Delft is hosting a one-day event that will focus on three main topics:
• How to achieve cultural change in research data management?
• Why is good data stewardship important?
• Why do we care and why should researchers care?
The event will feature discussions, presentations and interactive workshops. The two keynote speakers are Dr Danny Kingsley (Deputy Director, Scholarly Communication and Research Services at Cambridge University Library) and Kim Huijpen from the Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU).
Register and read more on Eventbrite.
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INORMS 2018
4-7 June, Edinburgh
The Association of Research Managers and Administrators UK (ARMA), is organising the biennial congress of the International Network of Research Management Societies.
The congress will feature a variety of plenary sessions, seminars and workshops covering key research management topics, specifically exploring the theme, ‘Promoting Global Research Management, Supporting Global Research Challenges’. The programme will be enhanced by a variety of opportunities for delegates to develop their personal and professional skills, and build their CV.
More information can be found on the INORM website.
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International Conference for Administrative Data Research
21-22 June, Belfast
The International Conference for Administrative Data Research is a growing annual event aimed at researchers who use administrative data to better understand populations and societies.
The 2018 conference is being hosted by Queen’s University, Belfast. There are two free workshops the day before the conference starts.
For more information and to book, visit the conference website.
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Applications open for Gathering for Open Science Hardware
GOSH 2018 takes place on 10-13 October in Shenzhen, China. Applications are open to join the third annual meeting where participants will join together as a community to explore the 2018 theme ‘scaling hardware, growing community’.
There will be a series of themed discussion groups, practical workshops and trips to local Shenzhen businesses that can offer lessons and support for scaling Open Science Hardware.
Apply by 20 May 2018. Invitations and travel support will be confirmed by mid-June 2018.
Find out more and apply on the GOSH website.
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Call for papers: 3rd IMA Conference on the Mathematical Challenges of Big Data
Data-driven analysis is increasingly critical for many organisations, to help gain reliable insights and make better decisions. The Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA) conference in London, on 10-11 December 2018, brings together researchers and practitioners to showcase the latest research.
The organisers are looking for papers which should describe mathematical challenges specific to a number of topics relating to big data (a full list is available on the IMA website). Papers will be accepted for the conference based on a 300-500 word abstract for oral or poster presentation. Abstracts to be submitted by Friday 28 September 2018.
Find out more about the conference on the IMA website.
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JOB: Research Data Assistant, Centre for Time Use Research, University of Oxford
The ESRC Centre for Time Use Research is looking for a Research Assistant to work on their Multinational Time Use Project.
The successful candidate will take the lead responsibility for the administrative management of research data. They will also attend meetings with the MTUS team and liaise with the Research Administrator in managing the data.
The closing date is 9 May. To apply visit the University of Oxford Recruitment page. (Use Vacancy Ref 134550)
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JOB: REF and Research and Impact Officer, University of East London
The University of East London is looking for a versatile and enthusiastic colleague to join their Research Excellence Team.
The candidate will be interested in supporting research and having the opportunity to improve their knowledge and skills, particularly in the areas of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) and research impact, and contribute to improvement in research quality across the institution.
To find out more and apply, by 9 May, visit the University of East London jobs page.
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JOB: Research Data Officer, University of Glasgow
The post holder will support the development and implementation of the College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences’ research-related strategies, policies and associated initiatives by performing a comprehensive data management and analysis role, particularly to support preparations for the Research Excellence Framework (REF).
Visit the University of Glasgow's website for more information. The closing date is 14 May.
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JOB: REF Project Manager, University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh is seeking an individual with exceptional communication skills, the ability to influence across multi-departmental teams and an interest in higher education to project manage their REF2021 submission.
The successful candidate will provide coordination to a cross-departmental team across the three colleges and three support groups of the University of Edinburgh. This will be a crucial role in the final stages of the REF2021 preparations.
For more information and to apply, by 22 May, visit the University of Edinburgh jobs page (Use Vacancy Ref 043602).
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JOB: REF Data Officer, University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh is seeking an individual with a passion for data quality, and an interest in how universities use their data in decision making, to contribute to the University of Edinburgh’s REF2021 submission.
With a keen eye for detail, comfortable with manipulating data from different databases and systems, this person will provide key metrics to colleges and schools to inform key decision making on staff, outputs, impact and environment.
For more information and to apply, by 22 May, visit the University of Edinburgh jobs page (Use Vacancy Ref 043612).
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JOB: EBLS Data Manager, Institute of Criminology, Cambridge
The Institute of Criminology is looking for a full-time Data Manager for the Evidence for Better Lives Study (EBLS), an integrated research, impact and capacity-building programme based in 8 middle-income countries.
The role holder will work closely with the research team at the University of Cambridge, and be responsible for developing and managing a comprehensive and secure project coordination, data collection and data storage strategy.
For more information and to apply, by 24 May, visit the University of Cambridge Jobs page (Use Vacancy Ref 17283)
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JOB: Service Delivery Manager – Research Data Shared Service, Jisc
This is a new role that sits within the research data management cluster. The post holder will manage the research data shared service and any related services. This is not a technical role, although some understanding of technical service delivery is required.
For more information and to apply visit the Jisc website.
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