Research Data Tools

The JISC-funded ‘Research information management: Developing tools to inform the management of research and translating existing good practice’ project report was launched at Imperial College London on 27 August 2010 by Professor John Wood CBE. The event was a huge success and attended by over seventy-five stakeholders from across the sector.  Attendees took part in two workshop exercises to discuss the project findings and suggested several mechanisms for taking forward the project’s recommendations.

Workshop 1:  Best practice in implementation

• Establishing case studies of good IT governance within institutions
• More involvement of ‘intermediaries’ to translate research system requirements for system development
• Development of national data standards to build consistency in information systems
• Funding a further JISC project to assess and develop standard research performance measures
• Explore and develop a forum for funders, suppliers and institutional stakeholders to share knowledge and understanding

Workshop 2: Development of research information tools

• Exploration of high level commonality between research tools within the sector
• Partnership between institutions and suppliers to drive standards in data and systems
• Investigation of successful private sector initiatives and information systems that could be transplanted into higher education

Slides from the day will be uploaded to the findings and publications section.

The results of the JISC-funded Developing tools to inform the management of research and translating existing good practice project will be formally announced at a workshop at Imperial College London on Friday 27 August 2010.

The workshop will provide an opportunity to influence next steps and future plans. Attendees will:

• Receive a copy of the project report
• Find out more about the aims and outcomes of the project
• Discuss the most appropriate systems and tools needed to support for research management
• Contribute ideas about the future development of research systems
• Contribute to the ways in which some of the study’s recommendations might be taken forward

The workshop will be introduced by Professor John V. Wood CBE, Secretary General, Association of Commonwealth Universities.

Niels Weertman, Vice-President Product Management, Elsevier, will discuss the implications of the study’s findings for the future development of research information management tools and systems.

The workshop will close with a panel discussion. This will include:

• Joy van Baren, User Experience Portfolio Manager, Elsevier
• Nick Fowler, Director of Strategy, Elsevier
• Mary Phillips, Director of Research Planning, University College London
• Scott Rutherford, Head of Research Information Systems, Imperial College London
• Glenn Swafford, Director of Research Services, University of Oxford