JISC採用工程與物理科學研究學會(Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, EPSRC)對於Research data的定義:
‘Research data is defined as recorded factual material commonly retained by and accepted in the scientific community as necessary to validate research findings; although the majority of such data is created in digital format, all research data is included irrespective of the format in which it is created.’
JISC約於2015年開始Research data shared service (RDSS)計畫，該計畫將聚焦資料生命週期的循環，在這個循環中，最終資料物件(finalized data objects)的獲取(ingest)、出版、長期的儲存與保存以用於出版或典藏，並且可以創建連結至現存在data creation 和managing active data的服務。
RDSS服務的建立
JISC在2015年下半年啟動需求調查，了解高教單位對RDM的需求，主要包含三個部份
- 對各機構進行研究系統的調查(institutional survey around research systems)，了解JISC各會員館機構內RDM的現況；
- 針對現存需求的二手資料研究 (desk research around existing requirements)
- 需求調查工作坊或是專家會議 (requirements gathering workshops.)
最終的需求調查結果與分析發布在The Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU)的招標公告中 (Jisc Research Data Shared Service Operational Requirements，https://zenodo.org/record/48261#.XUOqavL7SUk)
- 團隊建立-實驗機構(pilot institutions)
JISC從申請參與計畫實驗的機構中依照申請機構的SIZE與類型，平衡選取了13個機構成為實驗機構，這些機構包含倫敦帝國學院、劍橋大學、紐約大學等，與JISC一起合作發展RDSS的服務。
JISC使用OJEU的採購流程建立了供應商架構，這個架構可以分成8個部分：
- Lot 1 – Research Data Repository Suppliers
- Lot 2 – Repository Interfaces Suppliers
- Lot 3 – Research Data Exchange Interface Suppliers
- Lot 4 – Research Information and Administration Systems Integrations Suppliers
- Lot 5 – Research Data Preservation Platforms Suppliers
- Lot 6 – Research Data Preservation Tools Development Suppliers
- Lot 7 – Research Data Reporting Suppliers
- Lot 8 – User Experience Enhancement Suppliers.
關於供應商的需求及更多資訊可以參考
RDSS將讓研究者可以儲存資料以用於出版、發現、安全儲存、長期的典藏與保存，這衍生了一些問題，例如:
- What forms of data do researchers have?
- How much data are we talking about?
- Where do they store their data currently?
- Who else needs access to it?
- How long does the data need to be kept?
- What motivates researchers to share their data – or to keep it closed?
Data Asset Framework 發展於2009年，當時幫助許多單位解決處理資料集的問題，但經過數十年的變化，原先的DAF已不符合實際需求，JISC及RDSS的實驗機構開始新版本的調查(The 2016 DAF survey)，了解目前英國RDM的情形，調查結果大約如下:
- The RDSS can fill an important gap – 75% of researchers look first to their institution to preserve their data – but we know a lot of institutions cannot fully meet this need at present. This is where the RDSS can help.
- Access to institutional support for RDM remains low – only 16% of respondents are currently accessing university RDM support services. This is a twofold challenge: institutions not only need to make appropriate support services available, but also make researchers aware that they exist.
- We are pushing at an open door – 68% of respondents either already share data, or expect to do so in the future. Most of them do so because they believe that research is a public good which should be open to all. We just need to make data-sharing easier.
- We still have a long way to go – only 40% of respondents currently have an RDM plan, and only 18% follow established metadata standards or guidelines. Delivering change will take time.
為了瞭解RDSS的元數據(Metadata)和資料模組是否符合需求，JISC與Clax合作舉辦了9場焦點團體，參與者是實驗機構中的研究者，結果簡略如下:
- The focus groups expressed concern about a number of areas with regard to metadata. Some can be addressed by training and support; many can be addressed by suppliers working with institutions and RDSS. A few require new technologies or culture change.
- Early creation and collection of metadata was often mentioned. This can be achieved through the use of dynamic data management plans so that metadata is collected from the planning stage and updated throughout the data collection and analysis process.
- Systems should preserve the form and content of the deposited data while allowing updating of the metadata to link to related data sets, subsequent publications and other materials which may have been created after the data was deposited. They should also allow updating of keywords and descriptive materials to reflect changes in the discipline. The facility to allow metadata to include links to other digital object identifiers (DOIs) and URLs – where a DOI does not exist – is essential.
- It is often assumed that the collection of metadata will involve researchers in arduous and time-consuming form filling at data deposit time. This is undesirable and unlikely to produce good metadata. Instead, automation of tools, collection processes, equipment and metadata collection integrated into researchers’ workflow throughout the research will, ideally, allow a push-button submission of the data, with metadata already attached, to the repository.
RDSS 挑戰
從實驗機構端獲得的回饋可以歸納出幾點RDSS目前面對到的挑戰:
- defining a ‘minimum viable product’ with
a multitude of systems, priorities and expectations
- fitting with existing institution and
researcher workflows – for example, fitting RDSS into an institutional policy
with the CRIS as the front door for researchers
- making preservation work for research
data, when the development of systems and tools have been led by the cultural
heritage system
- managing large data, data too large to
be uploaded over the web, so greater than 5GB and including the challenges of
big data
- managing sensitive data including
commercial, personally identifiable information and medical data.
