RDMF Review Meeting

On 13th January 2011 an invited group of researchers, together with senior library, IT and data centre staff, and with representatives from the DCC, RIN and JISC, met to develop a forward strategy for the Research Data Management Forum (RDMF). The purpose of the meeting was to consider the nature and outcome of the first five RDMF events, observe the impact of changes in the research data landscape since November 2007 (when the RDMF was created) and produce a revised strategy for the appropriate continuation of the RDMF.

Specific items for consideration were rationale, structure and direction, membership and community, the type of themes to be pursued and topics to be covered, required outputs and outcomes, administration and funding, as well as the preferred location/venue, format and frequency. The group achieved consensus that the key aims of the RDMF should be

• Developing and sharing best practice (as distinct from the provision of training and instruction in practices and techniques);
• Providing a forum for focused research council involvement in the development and promulgation of effective data management/curation within higher education;
• The development of principles into policy;
• Branding of the practitioners community as the authoritative source of knowledge and best practice;
• To provide a launchpad for member and other organisations to introduce new initiatives and challenges.

It was also agreed that the RDMF should adopt a roaming venue and that the DCC would give urgent attention to developing and hosting media for enabling the amplification of RDMF events. A record of the meeting is available for download.