In response to the Tri-Agency’s Research Data Management Policy, UBC has released its institutional research data management strategy, co-sponsored by the Vice-President, Research and Innovation, UBC Library and the Office of the Chief Information Officer.
The strategy outlines six goals and 21 recommendations that emerged following a series of consultations with the UBC research community that were completed in 2021 and 2022. The strategy was developed through extensive consultation with the UBC research community, led by a task force of members from across the institution.
Research data management encompasses a wide array of data literacies, skills and practices that support the collection, documentation, storage, sharing and preservation of research data. Development of these skills in turn supports research excellence, the academic values of scholarly integrity and the responsible conduct of research.
Of the strategy’s 21 recommendations, six were most highlighted by the community. In particular that UBC should:
- Form an implementation committee to review this strategy, prioritize and establish a plan to address these recommendations.
- Investigate support options for researchers needing to create data management plans
- Establish a unified RDM knowledge hub that provides a trusted single source of information across all areas of the institution.
- Establish a unified communication strategy across research data management service providers that is cohesive and consistent.
- Explore centralized options to support data management plans, data security services, and research data repositories.
- Seek continued access to appropriate storage throughout the data lifecycle for researchers, considering the unique challenges of different classifications of data.
With the strategy in place, an implementation committee comprising members from across the university will be formed and tasked to act on the recommendations.