The new Research Data Office will better support researchers in managing their research data according to legal requirements and security standards. This is achieved through technical solutions for storage, for example, as well as through extended online support and a support function staffed by knowledgeable employees.
To ensure that the support really meets the needs of researchers, the unit has assigned data stewards to each faculty. They will work closely with researchers, providing guidance and support while also raising the needs that emerge with the Research Data Office. The goal is a support system that constantly improves support for research – so that researchers can spend more time on what matters most: research itself.
Meet the faculty's data stewards – Thomas and Kurt
How long have you worked at Lund University and why did you become the faculty's data steward?
Thomas: I have worked at Lund University since 2023 and was hired to work with research support. Previously, I worked at the University of Borås as the programme coordinator for a bachelor programme in library and information science and taught courses on topics such as knowledge organisation and database management. I was also involved in developing a data management course, in collaboration with the Swedish National Data Service (SND), for professional librarians. Therefore, it was quite natural for me to take on the role of data steward at 75 per cent.
It's good to be able to share the position with my colleague Kurt because there is a lot to consider when it comes to data management, and we must provide support in many different levels of metadata. As librarians, we have our expertise in metadata, but we are also in close contact with other support organisations in areas such as archive and IT. We can easily refer questions to others if needed.
Kurt: I have worked at Lund University since 2020 and have primarily worked with research support, with a focus on research data support. It was natural that Thomas and I would continue to collaborate on this as the data steward role is very much based on what the existing support looked like. The key difference, I would say, is the broader context that the data steward role is part of. The development of infrastructure and storage solutions, as well as central coordinating roles, will provide us with better opportunities to reach out and pool our support in data management.
What are the biggest challenges for researchers at the Faculty of Science when it comes to research data management and how can you support them in this regard?
Thomas and Kurt: One of the major challenges for researchers, as we have noted, is that they experience increased administrative burdens related to funders' requirements. We want to try to turn this administration into added value for the researcher and their colleagues. For example, if you work on documenting your dataset in a readme file or in a data management plan from the start, it will make it easier when it is time to archive or share your data.
A big challenge for both researchers and us is the size of the faculty. It is difficult to reach researchers at the right time, and it is therefore difficult to communicate our support. The support has previously been on request, but we want to try to change that and be more proactive.
Why is it so important how you manage your research data? Why should researchers care about this?
Thomas and Kurt: Organising your data in a logical file structure and documenting this as well as the metadata of the files is a fundamental prerequisite for being able to go back to your data and understand it in five years' time. It is also important to save the files in a location with backup to minimise the risk of losing data. Managing your data well helps in all respects when it comes to meeting both funders' requirements and legal requirements.
Do you have a motto or philosophy of life that you live by?
Thomas: ‘The cake is a lie’.
Kurt: No, I don't have a motto or philosophy of life.
If you could have dinner with any person, living or dead, who would it be and what would you want to discuss?
Thomas: Stanley G. Weinbaum. It would be fun to hear how he reasoned about extraterrestrial intelligence when he wrote his science fiction short stories.
Kurt: It would be fun to meet Andrew Huberman and ask him some questions about how natural and artificial light affects the circadian rhythm.