{"id":3306,"date":"2019-08-07T14:15:19","date_gmt":"2019-08-07T14:15:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/?p=3306"},"modified":"2021-04-27T18:15:31","modified_gmt":"2021-04-27T18:15:31","slug":"increase-data-reusability-and-enhance-your-curation-investments-with-these-three-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/increase-data-reusability-and-enhance-your-curation-investments-with-these-three-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Increase data reusability and enhance your curation investments with these three tips"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"data<\/p>\n

In many cases, collecting and processing original research data is incredibly costly and difficult. It can involve travel, field work, painstaking examinations, and observations. Sometimes unique, expensive equipment or one-time access to materials or events that can\u2019t be recreated is required. But it\u2019s worth it if the data yields new scientific insights and advances.<\/p>\n

And if that data can be reused in other studies, it makes the return on investment (ROI) much more attractive for universities and funding bodies. Professionals in libraries, archives, and museums have a unique view into the needs of researchers. We can develop and promote new services and procedures that encourage data sharing and data reuse.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

For 10 years, I\u2019ve been studying data reuse in scholarly communities. It has evolved into studying scholars\u2019 data management and sharing practices and the library\u2019s role in supporting these kinds of activities. My goal is to inform the design and delivery of research data management programs in ways that increase data\u2019s value.<\/p>\n

Aligning needs for effective data flows<\/h2>\n

The needs for scholars who create, manage, and share data are different than those of discovery, access, and reuse. If we want data to flow through the life cycle more effectively, we must consider how different phases positively and negatively influence each other and what adjustments can be made to better align needs. My colleagues Elizabeth Yakel and Zachary J. Maiorana and I were able to do just that for The Anatolia Project.<\/p>\nIncrease data reusability and enhance your curation investments with these three tips. #OCLCnext <\/a><\/span>Share on X<\/a><\/span>\n

The project involved 12 zooarchaeologists and two data curators working collaboratively to share, curate, and reuse the data from 14 archaeological sites in Anatolia (now primarily Turkey). It brought together animal bone data collected from many sites, over a long time period and a broad geographic range, to answer questions about animal domestication and the transition from a hunter-gatherer to an agrarian society in a more comprehensive way. The study was published in PLOS One<\/em> and the data were published in Open Context<\/em>. It was a perfect opportunity for us to study the impact data practices have on key life cycle phases, in order to inform the work of intermediaries that support them.<\/p>\n

Steering data through life cycle phases<\/h2>\n

In our study<\/a>, the negative impact that inefficient data production practices had on later phases of the life cycle was stark. If it weren\u2019t for the curatorial interventions that steered data through the life cycle phases, the data wouldn\u2019t have been reusable. But interventions after-the-fact are time- and effort- intensive. Like many, we believe intervening earlier in the data life cycle is critical.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d like to focus on three ways archaeological data were steered through the life cycle that other information specialists can adapt:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Create transparency throughout the life cycle<\/li>\n
  2. Discuss data selection<\/li>\n
  3. Apply consistent data standards<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Working together to improve the outputs, we greatly increase the likelihood that data will be reused in ways that increase the ROI on original research.<\/p>\n

    1. Create transparency throughout the life cycle<\/h2>\n

    A few researchers had the foresight to discuss data quality with curators prior to sharing as a means to create transparency around what data they collected and how the data were recorded. But for most, it was exposure to others\u2019 data during reuse and\/or questions resulting from the data they shared that will have the most profound influence on their data collection and recording practices going forward. As one of the zooarchaeologists said during our study:<\/p>\n

    \u201cWhen I worked with other people\u2019s data \u2026 That also made me more conscious about the way I look at my own data \u2026 it actually has changed, tremendously changed the way I look at my own data and data collection.\u201d<\/p>\n

    The transparency created through increased access to data via sharing and reuse changed scholars\u2019 perceptions around acceptable data management and documentation practices within their discipline.<\/p>\n

    Steering data production:<\/em><\/strong> Give researchers access to well-curated data within their discipline to prime discussions about data quality prior to data production and to shape perceptions about data publishing norms.<\/p>\n

    2. Discuss data selection<\/h2>\n

    When we talk about data selection, it\u2019s usually from the perspective of repository staff building data collections. Even though data producers were encouraged to share all of their data for The Anatolia Project, some made data selection decisions without telling the data curators. The decisions were made for various personal, practical, and legal reasons and balanced perceived time and effort required to prepare data with what they thought re-users would need. One zooarchaeologist explained how she \u201ccleaned\u201d the data, which included deleting data she didn\u2019t think necessary to share.<\/p>\n

    \u201cI also cleaned everything as much as possible, so for example, I only sent sort of standard things like species. So, I didn\u2019t send for example butchery marks, which I have a very specific code for \u2026 it wasn\u2019t necessary for this particular data sharing so that was cut …\u201d<\/p>\n

    Steering data selection:<\/em><\/strong> Require data producers to specify their data selection decisions and rationale, so both can be discussed, negotiated, and documented.<\/p>\n

    3. Apply consistent data standards<\/h2>\n

    Developing and using data standards during data production is great, but only if the standard is applied consistently. We found researchers introduced personal and regional variations to Payne\u2019s 1973 system for categorizing tooth eruption and wear, a well-established standard in archaeology. This not only caused confusion when trying to understand the data, but also limited data integration. As one of the curators explained:<\/p>\n

    \u201cWe do have tooth wear data, but it just wasn\u2019t in a format that could be clearly integrated \u2026 We could provide all of that to the analysts, but it will be a lot of columns of pretty disparate data \u2026 \u201d<\/p>\n

    After much back and forth, the curators were able to sort out the different recording schemes and apply Payne\u2019s standard as specified.<\/p>\n

    Steering data standards:<\/em><\/strong> Work with disciplinary communities and repository staff to create data content and data value guidelines that ensure researchers apply and record data standards in the same way.<\/p>\n

    Amplifying the value of research<\/h2>\n

    As professionals in libraries, archives, and museums, we are responsible for meeting researchers\u2019 data production and reuse needs. We are uniquely positioned to use our insights to help align those needs throughout<\/em> the life cycle. By applying these lessons to data at our institutions, we will multiply the value of research data and increase the visibility, relevance, and return on investment of the work we do every day.<\/p>\n

    That\u2019s a great achievement for any library, museum, or archive to crow about.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    In many cases, collecting and processing original research data is incredibly costly and difficult. It can involve travel, field work, painstaking examinations, and observations. Sometimes unique, expensive equipment or one-time access to materials or events that can\u2019t be recreated is required. But it\u2019s worth it if the data yields new scientific insights and advances. And […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40,11],"tags":[36,86],"class_list":["post-3306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-research","category-workflows","tag-library-management","tag-research-collections-support"],"yoast_head":"\nThree ways to increase the ROI of research data<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Professionals in libraries, archives, and museums are well equipped to help shape services that encourage data sharing, reuse, and standards.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/increase-data-reusability-and-enhance-your-curation-investments-with-these-three-tips\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Three ways to increase the ROI of research data\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Professionals in libraries, archives, and museums are well equipped to help shape services that encourage data sharing, reuse, and standards.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/increase-data-reusability-and-enhance-your-curation-investments-with-these-three-tips\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"OCLC Next\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-08-07T14:15:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-04-27T18:15:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/data_reuse_NEXT-Facebook.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ixchel M. Faniel, Ph.D.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/data_reuse_NEXT-Twitter.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ixchel M. Faniel, Ph.D.\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/increase-data-reusability-and-enhance-your-curation-investments-with-these-three-tips\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/increase-data-reusability-and-enhance-your-curation-investments-with-these-three-tips\/\",\"name\":\"Three ways to increase the ROI of research data\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/increase-data-reusability-and-enhance-your-curation-investments-with-these-three-tips\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/increase-data-reusability-and-enhance-your-curation-investments-with-these-three-tips\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/data-reuse.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-08-07T14:15:19+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-04-27T18:15:31+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/#\/schema\/person\/0cd86f75c981096b86f19b52538dbfd0\"},\"description\":\"Professionals in libraries, archives, and museums are well equipped to help shape services that encourage data sharing, reuse, and standards.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/increase-data-reusability-and-enhance-your-curation-investments-with-these-three-tips\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/increase-data-reusability-and-enhance-your-curation-investments-with-these-three-tips\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/increase-data-reusability-and-enhance-your-curation-investments-with-these-three-tips\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/data-reuse.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/data-reuse.jpg\",\"width\":1160,\"height\":370},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/increase-data-reusability-and-enhance-your-curation-investments-with-these-three-tips\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"2017-10-10-It’s-Time-to-Reinvent-the-Collective-Collection\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/2017-10-10-Its-Time-to-Reinvent-the-Collective-Collection.png\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Increase data reusability and enhance your curation investments with these three tips\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/\",\"name\":\"OCLC Next\",\"description\":\"Next provides insight and information about the work being done by and for libraries all over the world.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/#\/schema\/person\/0cd86f75c981096b86f19b52538dbfd0\",\"name\":\"Ixchel M. Faniel, Ph.D.\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Faniel_Ixchel.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Faniel_Ixchel.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Ixchel M. Faniel, Ph.D.\"},\"description\":\"Senior Research Scientist Ixchel\u2019s interests include improving how people discover, access and use\/reuse content. She is currently examining how academics manage, share and reuse research data and librarians\u2019 experiences designing and delivering supportive research data management programs. She also is investigating how science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students from grade school to grad school identify and judge the credibility of digital resources. Ixchel\u2019s research has been funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Prior to joining OCLC Ixchel worked at the University of Michigan, School of Information, IBM and Andersen Consulting (now Accenture). She graduated from Tufts University with a BS in Computer Science and earned an MBA and Ph.D. in Business Administration at the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business. Projects Dissemination Information Packages for Information Reuse (DIPIR) E-Research and Data: Opportunities for Library Engagement The Secret Life of Data (SLO-data) Researching Students\u2019 Information Choices: Determining Identity and Judging Credibility in Digital Spaces\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/www.oclc.org\/blog\/main\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/author\/ixchel-m-faniel\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Three ways to increase the ROI of research data","description":"Professionals in libraries, archives, and museums are well equipped to help shape services that encourage data sharing, reuse, and standards.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/increase-data-reusability-and-enhance-your-curation-investments-with-these-three-tips\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Three ways to increase the ROI of research data","og_description":"Professionals in libraries, archives, and museums are well equipped to help shape services that encourage data sharing, reuse, and standards.","og_url":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/increase-data-reusability-and-enhance-your-curation-investments-with-these-three-tips\/","og_site_name":"OCLC Next","article_published_time":"2019-08-07T14:15:19+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-04-27T18:15:31+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/data_reuse_NEXT-Facebook.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Ixchel M. Faniel, Ph.D.","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_image":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/data_reuse_NEXT-Twitter.jpg","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Ixchel M. Faniel, Ph.D.","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/increase-data-reusability-and-enhance-your-curation-investments-with-these-three-tips\/","url":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/increase-data-reusability-and-enhance-your-curation-investments-with-these-three-tips\/","name":"Three ways to increase the ROI of research data","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/increase-data-reusability-and-enhance-your-curation-investments-with-these-three-tips\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/increase-data-reusability-and-enhance-your-curation-investments-with-these-three-tips\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/data-reuse.jpg","datePublished":"2019-08-07T14:15:19+00:00","dateModified":"2021-04-27T18:15:31+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/#\/schema\/person\/0cd86f75c981096b86f19b52538dbfd0"},"description":"Professionals in libraries, archives, and museums are well equipped to help shape services that encourage data sharing, reuse, and standards.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/increase-data-reusability-and-enhance-your-curation-investments-with-these-three-tips\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/increase-data-reusability-and-enhance-your-curation-investments-with-these-three-tips\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/increase-data-reusability-and-enhance-your-curation-investments-with-these-three-tips\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/data-reuse.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/data-reuse.jpg","width":1160,"height":370},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/increase-data-reusability-and-enhance-your-curation-investments-with-these-three-tips\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"2017-10-10-It’s-Time-to-Reinvent-the-Collective-Collection","item":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/2017-10-10-Its-Time-to-Reinvent-the-Collective-Collection.png"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Increase data reusability and enhance your curation investments with these three tips"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/#website","url":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/","name":"OCLC Next","description":"Next provides insight and information about the work being done by and for libraries all over the world.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/#\/schema\/person\/0cd86f75c981096b86f19b52538dbfd0","name":"Ixchel M. Faniel, Ph.D.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Faniel_Ixchel.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Faniel_Ixchel.jpg","caption":"Ixchel M. Faniel, Ph.D."},"description":"Senior Research Scientist Ixchel\u2019s interests include improving how people discover, access and use\/reuse content. She is currently examining how academics manage, share and reuse research data and librarians\u2019 experiences designing and delivering supportive research data management programs. She also is investigating how science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students from grade school to grad school identify and judge the credibility of digital resources. Ixchel\u2019s research has been funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Prior to joining OCLC Ixchel worked at the University of Michigan, School of Information, IBM and Andersen Consulting (now Accenture). She graduated from Tufts University with a BS in Computer Science and earned an MBA and Ph.D. in Business Administration at the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business. Projects Dissemination Information Packages for Information Reuse (DIPIR) E-Research and Data: Opportunities for Library Engagement The Secret Life of Data (SLO-data) Researching Students\u2019 Information Choices: Determining Identity and Judging Credibility in Digital Spaces","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.oclc.org\/blog\/main\/"],"url":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/author\/ixchel-m-faniel\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3306","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3306"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3306\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4518,"href":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3306\/revisions\/4518"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}