When researchers get to know the experts and their services at the beginning of a project, it is easier to ask them for help later on, says Nina-Mari Salminen in the latest chapter of the Good Practices series.
If you offer commenting or evaluating data management plans as a service, it is a good opportunity to also introduce research data management services suitable to the project. The goal is to increase uptake of useful services, which can improve the quality of research data management.
The data management planning stage in itself may raise questions that make it necessary to guide the student or researcher to other services, such as the data protection officer, IPR services, legal counsel, experts on GIS or statistics data, open science specialists, data managers or IT services. If these experts and their services are introduced in the very beginning of the project, the client is more likely to know whom to contact later in various stages of the data life cycle. At the same time, introducing the range of services helps to emphasize that the goal is managing your data well throughout the project, not just submitting the initial DMP.
This practice is suitable for all organizations and research disciplines. It does not require any additional resources, only changes in communication. However, the person providing comments on or evaluating the DMP has to be aware of other services available and capable of evaluating their relevance and utility in the data management of the project in question. The availability of services and experts should be ensured as well before increasing their marketing.
| + | – |
| Using communications to raise awareness of good research data management, does not require extra resources. | Requires expertise from those reviewing DMPs. |
Text: Nina-Mari Salminen, Luonnonvarakeskus
Image: Unsplash/Tamanna Rumvee (adapted)
Previously in this series:
- Jari Friman: Training as an Opportunity to Market Services
- Taisa Sallinen: An Officially Approved DMP for All Research Projects?
- Mari Elisa Kuusniemi: Familiar Faces Build Trust
- Mika E. Virtanen: Share Current Affairs at General Information Meetings
- Eeva Savolainen: Multi-channel Channel Communication Reaches a Wide Audience
- Päivi Rauste: Making Training Materials Openly Available Saves Resources
- Eeva Savolainen: Data Agents as First Point of Contact
- Mika E. Virtanen: Web Cafés Facilitate Discussion
- Pauli Assinen: Introducing Good Practices for Data Services Marketing
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