maDMPs4UCT: orchestrating institutional data services to automate the creation and publishing of machine actionable data management plans by researchers at the University of Cape Town
Funding Area: Critical shared infrastructure / Infraestructura compartida critica
Problem Statement: Open Science and Research Data Management (RDM) policies enhance R&I ecosystems. Data services are developed or adjusted according to Open and FAIR principles to support institutions and researchers. In this context, Data Management Planning (DMP) platforms are developed to guide researchers in organising, handling and sharing their data responsibly and in alignment with prevailing policies. The OpenDMP software is the next generation open source DMP platform for implementing EC RDM policies, CHIST-ERA and FCCN/FCT projects. OpenDMP fosters interoperability by applying the RDA DMP Common Standard and exposing machine actionable representations of the DMPs it produces. It integrates with data services to automate processes for content pre-filling, publishing and linking of DMPs through PIDs and attributes’ semantics. The University of Cape Town (UCT) is consistently ranked the #1 African University. It leads Africa’s largest data-driven research projects and runs a vast eInfrastructure portfolio. However, the adoption of RDM best practices at UCT is still limited. While UCT runs a DMP platform using the DMP ROADMAP software, this is not integrated with other institutional services such as the data repository using figshare and the Research Ethics Platform using Converis. This project aims to pilot the connection of data workflows and services at the institutional level by migrating to the OpenDMP software and configuring it to enable this orchestration.
Proposed Activities: Activity 1.IDENTIFY & ENHANCE; Timeline: 11.01.2023-03.31.2024; Beneficiaries: UCT This activity will record the RDM needs and data services of UCT focusing on the technical specifications and the areas to be enhanced in preparation of the OpenDMP software deployment and integrations. Identify RDM services and practices across UCT using methodologies such as the Data Asset Framework or Research Infrastructure Self-Evaluation framework. Curate UCT organizations that will be available in the DMP template using OpenOrgs. Prepare the resources (such as Virtual Machines (VMs), networking, storage etc) for the software deployment and operation within UCT ICTS Data Centre. Activity 2.DEPLOY & CONFIGURE; Timeline: 04.01-07.31.2024; Beneficiaries: CITE, OpenAIRE The activity will set up the OpenDMP software on the UCT premises and organize how support will be offered to researchers. Set Up the VMs as required, for testing and production environments. Customize login by integrating with local authentication and authorization infrastructure (AAI). Migrate DMPs and users from DMP ROADMAP to the OpenDMP installation. Assign roles to UCT experts, e.g. super admin, template editor, etc. Connect existing support channels, e.g. Helpdesk. Activity 3.OPERATE & INTEGRATE; Timeline: 07.01.2024-03.31.2025; Beneficiaries: CITE, OpenAIRE, UCT This activity will make the connections of the deployed OpenDMP platform (Activity 2) with the local infrastructure and tailor features to meet the needs of the UCT research community (Activities 1&4). Develop a maDMP template to serve the UCT RDM policy. Identify local compatible APIs and/or select from pre-configured (e.g. ORCID, RDA, OpenAIRE Graph). Enhance the template with semantics, e.g. to enable qualified references. Configure UCT data services to enable automation and links with DMPs, e.g. Figshare and Zenodo, EGI resources, and Research Ethics Management. Respond to essential feedback. Develop guidance and instructions for researchers to implement the DMP. Activity 4.VERIFY & VALIDATE; Timeline: 10.01.2024-03.31.2025; Beneficiaries: UCT, CITE This activity will establish a focus group (8-10 researchers in different domains) to run pilots on the platform and the template. It will allow for constructive feedback and adjustments (activity 3) to successfully use the platform in different scenarios. Activity 5.TRAIN; Timeline: 11.01.2023-04.30.2025; Beneficiaries: OpenAIRE, CITE, UCT This activity runs throughout the project to ensure that knowledge is shared and skills are cultivated. Train-the-trainers for UCT librarians to manage and use the platform. Train UCT Super Admins to manage the OpenDMP software. Train UCT researchers to write maDMPs. Activity 6.LAUNCH; Timeline: 04.01-04.30.2025; Beneficiaries: UCT The activity will introduce the platform to the UCT researchers by organizing a Physical Event Launch at the “UCT Research Forum” and producing a “UCT DVC Desk” campus-wide e-mail message and website article.
Openness: OpenAIRE subscribes to the principles for open scholarly infrastructure (POSI): https://www.openaire.eu/principles-open-scholarly-infrastructure-openaire-assessment. In addition, the project will utilize the following communities to successfully collaborate and transfer knowledge among the teams: Gitea open source code repository: an open-source community for the development of OpenDMP software that respects and acknowledges everyone’s contributions (e.g. via pull requests). ARGOS Community Calls: a community of practice that ARGOS service maintains for OpenDMP users. RDA to share outcomes with the global RDM community. The teams will report on the lessons learnt from managing an open-source community for DMPs and will publish recommendations on the governance of such endeavours to inspire open source development adoption by more communities. The Cape Town Statement on Fostering Research Integrity, whose formulation was led by UCT’s Office for Research Integrity, articulate several principles to follow in order to make sure that highly trained and well-resourced researchers in HIC do not disproportionately benefit from reanalysing openly shared data by LMIC researchers. The project results will support the implementation of the following UCT policies: UCT RDM Policy UCT Open Access Policy UCT Support for DORA Principles. All project outputs will be collected in a dedicated Zenodo community and made openly available, under CC-BY license, to the global scientific community.
Challenges: The project might encounter some technical and operational challenges that are relevant to familiarity with DMP services and concepts and preparedness of locally used services. Particularly, the following are anticipated from the project partners: Knowledge transfer: personnel may be lacking familiarity with the concepts in Machine Actionable RDM. Alignment to the model of actionable DMPs (since now the report-document approach is applied). Integrations with service APIs that may not be present or appropriate, e.g. proprietary software. The activities proposed in our plan of action, especially on training and landscaping, ensure that the appropriate actions to mitigate relevant challenges will be employed throughout the project's lifetime. It should be noted that the project is expected to have a positive impact on workforce development by extending the contract for a dedicated expert to continue carrying out RDM activities at UCT.
Neglectedness: No, there are no other sources of funding for the proposed project. Overall, cross-continent collaborations are difficult to be realised with European public funding for Open Science due to eligibility restrictions for external applicants. While South Africa has been running a number of RDM and Open Science national projects over the years, these efforts have not led to the deployment of RDM services complying with international interoperability standards and best practices. South African scientists also do not have access to dedicated funding calls for Open Research eInfrastructure or for RDM activities at the national or African level. Our proposal will thus serve as a pilot project for (South) African universities to deploy such services in a cost-effective and sustainable manner.
Success: The success of our project is measured equally by the delivery of its outputs and the adoption of its activities. The prior reflects the delivery of the DMP service and the machine-actionable DMP template of UCT. For the activities, we use the following Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): KPI1 - Number of UCT staff members (Librarians / Data Stewards, eResearch Specialists) trained/mentored: Target = 10 KPI2 - Number of researchers engaged: Target = 500 KPI3 - Number of deployments: Target = 2 (Test and Production) KPI4 - Number of integrations: Target = 3 KPI5 - Number of publications: Target = 2 KPI6 - Number of global outreach activities: Target = 6 (1 webinar, 1 ARGOS community call presentation, 1 RDA presentation, 3 news items/blogs)
Total Budget: 25.000 USD
Budget File: pdf
Affiliations: OpenAIRE A.M.K.E.; CITE S.A.; University of Cape Town
LMIE Carveout: Yes, the project fits in the LMIE category as it is realised in collaboration with and for the University of Cape Town in South Africa. The community it will serve is thus exclusively based in South Africa. Design and Implementation Teams are mostly located in Greece.
Team Skills: The teams possess all the necessary skills to lead the project to completion and the project outputs into adoption by the relevant scientific communities. OpenAIRE: Elli Papadopoulou is an RDM expert and co-chairs the RDA Active DMPs IG, Engaging Researchers with Data IG and Early Career and Development IG. She has been leading ARGOS Service product management and actively participates in key initiatives for RDM in the EU, such as the EOSC-A FAIR Metrics and Data Quality Task Force (TF). CITE: Diamantis Tziotzios and Georgios Kakaletris have a long-term (2017) involvement in Machine Actionable DMPs design and implementation and are both participating in relevant EU initiatives around EOSC (G. Kakaletris is a member of EOSC-A Interoperability TF). They are both leading the OpenDMP software development. UCT: Mattia Vaccari (eResearch Director) has 20 years of experience in data-intensive research and RDM and has led the implementation of institutional open access and RDM policies within higher education in South Africa for 5 years. Sarah Schafer (eResearch Analyst) has supported the implementation of institutional policies within higher education in South Africa, specifically through RDM support and training activities. The UCT eResearch Centre is a distributed effort between UCT Research Office, UCT ICT Services and UCT Libraries to provide state-of-the-art research support tools and training and will lead the execution of the project at UCT.
Submission Number: 131
Loading