Large-Scale Development Project to Create a New System for Making Data Accessible

Published: 2019-07-08

Open access

This autumn will see the launch of one of the largest development projects of recent years in SND. The goal is to create a new comprehensive and cohesive system where researchers can publish research data and make them accessible.

The current process for publishing and making research data accessible via SND builds on three different systems:

  • a web form for describing and uploading data
  • a SND Internal Management System (SIMS) for managing metadata and data files
  • a research data catalogue for making data searchable and accessible.

One of the limitations of the current systems is that they don’t suit the new model for working with research data that is being established in the SND network. When the new workflow has been fully implemented, incoming data and data descriptions will no longer be managed and reviewed by SND staff, but by the DAU staff in the Swedish universities and researching organisations that make up the SND network. In order to make this possible, there has to be a cohesive tool that can be used throughout the process, from description and upload of research data to ordering data for re-use or review.

As this development project is on a large scale, it will be divided into several phases. The main part of the work in the phase that begins this autumn will be technical in nature, although some new functions will be established, such as making it possible for researchers to update published data descriptions. The project will have external reference groups, for instance one group of researchers and one with staff from the local research data support units (DAU).

—It is vital that the users of the system are involved in the development, says Sofia Agnesten, data manager in SND and a member of the project team. As researchers as well as research support staff will be using the system, we want to involve them in the process. Their comments will be valuable to us.

Ilze Lace will be project manager, and other SND staff in the project team are: Sofia Agnesten, Sara Svensson, Johan Fihn Marberg, Stefan Jakobsson, and Fabian Samuelsson.