There is a great need for coordination of research data and, therefore, the network ORDER (Open Research Data in E-archives for Reuse) has been established. The goal is to develop a national roadmap to find a common, technology-neutral way to manage data throughout the research process, from creation to archiving and reuse.
ORDER formed in Luleå this spring during a workshop on the management of research data and open access to research data. The workshop brought together participants from a range of stakeholders such as SND, the Swedish Research Council (VR), Riksbankens jubileumsfond, the National Archives, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, ECDS and Luleå University of Technology. The network is coordinated through the LDP (Center for Long-term Digital Preservation) at Luleå University of Technology.
The network will work in several areas related to the long-term management of research data, such as policy, infrastructure and research support. There is consensus in the network on the need for national guidelines and a common standard for managing research data that applies to all universities. There is also a need to develop a common infrastructure based on internationally established standards and metadata.
The network's report from the workshop emphasized that cooperation between various stakeholders is an important prerequisite for creating a good, long term management of research data. Cooperation "would generate a variety of benefits including shared preservation and exchange between institutions, better possibilities to verify research results; increased visibility for the university's research, and simplification of the management of research data" (translated quote from page 4 in the report).
A basis for the work in the network is that research data has a high scientific value even after the research results have been published. The research data are useful for meta-analysis and quality control and can also be used for future issues that we currently do not know.
Published: 2012-10-03