¿Y los datos qué?

Abstract

Research methods are evolving rapidly with the emergence of new tools and infrastructure which in turn allow researchers to conduct research in novel ways. These new forms of research are characterised for their increasing production and use of digital data. To get an idea of the scale of this, some studies reveal that 2007 was the year when the amount of digital data surpassed the total storage available. This is just the beginning and storage is just one issue. Data is the lifeblood of research and it is important to keep them safe to allow replication of research results as well as reuse. But research data are complex and heterogeneous digital materials and in order to look after them it is key to work with researchers as early as possible in their research life-cycle. In addition to this early planning, managing and curating research data involves expertise on the legal aspects of the creation, use and reuse of data; standards to create them and describe them; appropriate tools for the storage, access, discovery and analysis; and the capacity to assess the value of research data, preserve them and adding value to them. This presentation will discuss the issues above and present the findings from the Scoping Digital Repository Services for Research Data Management Project conducted at the University of Oxford.