Two open forums will be held this semester on the topic of data management. The first will be held Friday, Sept. 29 from 2-3 p.m. in the Lewis E. Epley Room of the Arkansas Student Union (ARKU 504). The second will take place in the same room from 10-11:15 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 10. The campus community is welcome to attend and encouraged to provide input via survey as to what data management related topics would be most beneficial.
“University Libraries and University IT have been grappling with the issue of data management for years,” said Carolyn Henderson Allen, dean of University Libraries. “Through faculty input and the implementation of these open forums, we aim to create a stable, long-term solution to data management and support for research collaboration across campus.”
Over the summer, a taskforce was convened to investigate and provide solutions to researchers for their data management needs. This group met with campus researchers and others to gather information on data needs, collecting ideas on how to provide support for data activities and for collaborative technology opportunities. One of the outcomes from these efforts was the proposal to hold several researcher open forums in the fall semester. The goal for these research leadership led forums is to determine specific and broader needs of the research community as they relate to data collection, collaboration, management, availability, discoverability, and preservation, in compliance with specific federal grant agency requirements.
“Systems that we put in place for the management of, and access to, many forms of data will be a critical foundation for advancing the University of Arkansas’ research and discovery mission and to building a collaborative and innovative campus into the future,” said associate chief information officer Paige Francis. “Given the importance of data management and access to our researchers, and to meeting our responsibilities to research sponsors and the public, I urge participation in these open forums to make sure we capture the full range of ideas and complexities in our planning process. Participating will also help to ensure that we learn about the concerns researchers have such that they can be fully considered in planning.”
At the end of each forum, the attendees will be asked to complete a survey on their thoughts about the forum and submit any additional ideas, topics or epiphanies. The compiled survey results will aid the taskforce in making the best possible, data driven, university-wide decisions.
“The implementation of optimal data management solutions is essential to enhancing the university’s research and discovery mission,” said University of Arkansas Chancellor Joseph Steinmetz. “Through this collaboration between the University Libraries and University IT, in conjunction with input from faculty, we will ensure that the research data the U of A presents is accurate and complete.”