Unlocking the Magic of Human Input in a Data-Driven World, an interdisciplinary tale

Unlocking the Magic of Human Input in a DataDriven World - An interdisciplinary tale Dr Samantha Pearman-Kanza University of Southampton Research Data Conversations 4th December 2025 About Me - How did I end up here? The importance of Data Stewardship The current state of Data Stewardship & Research Technical Professionals in the UK The CaSDaR Network+ Presentation Outline Principal Enterprise Fellow at University of Southampton Principal Investigator for CaSDaR (Careers & Skills for Data-driven Research) Co-Investigator & Pathfinder Lead on Process Recording for PSDI (Physical Sciences Data Infrastructure) Deputy Chair of the Faculty Ethics Committee Advisory Boards/Committees: Future Labs Live, London Labs Live, MADICES, Machines Learning Chemistry, RSC-CICAG, STRIX Award, KnowLedger: An Open Digital Research Notebook for Research Data Management, STEP-UP Research Interests: Data Stewardship, FAIR Data, Semantic Web Technologies, IoT, Research Data Management, Digitisation, Lab of the Future, Paperless Labs, Re-use of Technology About Me 2008 Computer Science MEng Developing my love of the Semantic Web, Databases, and organising Data! Graduate Technical Consultant. Realising Industry, and pure programming wasn’t for me 2012 iPhD Web Science Understanding the socio-technical aspects of data and technology, and starting my love of ELNs. Tried teaching, it was not for me! 2013 AI4SD Network + Developed a love of building communities; understanding data quality issues, and how much AI needs human intervention and Ethics 2018 PSDI Pathfinder Lead A chance to build upon and use my PhD research on ELNs and Semantics. Emphasised importance of Data Stewardship 2021 CaSDaR Principal Investigator Building a Network of Data Stewards, Championing the Careers and Skills of Data Stewards 2025 But how did I end up here? 2017 Research Fellow Agricultural Semantic Web Project, discovered how disparate and inconsistent data could be 2024 ELN Trial Opportunity to trial the implementation of an ELN across the Chemistry Department at University of Southampton Things I have learnt along the way Technology can rarely solve problems on its own - Humans are central to enhancing our data practices We need to invest time and money in human effort rather than expecting our data to improve by magic FAIR is a good start, but we need to look beyond FAIR if we are to truly create reusable data We need a blend of Data, Technical and Domain based knowledge to enhance our research practices Cartoon created by ErrantScience.com for AI4SD: licensed under CC-BY-NC Lets talk about FAIR A set of principles to ensure that data is: F – Findable A – Accessible I – Interoperable R – Reusable Wilkinson, M., Dumontier, M., Aalbersberg, I. et al. The FAIR Guiding Principles for scientific data management and stewardship. Sci Data 3, 160018 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2016.18 FINDABLE ACCESSIBLE INTEROPERABLE REUSABLE F1. (meta)data are assigned a globally unique and persistent identifier F2. data are described with rich metadata F3. metadata clearly and explicitly include the identifier of the data it describes F4. (meta)data are registered or indexed in a searchable resource A1. (meta)data are retrievable by their identifier using a standardized communications protocol A1.1 the protocol is open, free, and universally implementable A1.2 the protocol allows for an authentication and authorization procedure, where necessary A2. metadata are accessible, even when the data are no longer available I1. (meta)data use a formal, accessible, shared, and broadly applicable language for knowledge representation I2. (meta)data use vocabularies that follow FAIR principles I3. (meta)data include qualified references to other (meta)data R1. meta(data) are richly described with a plurality of accurate and relevant attributes R1.1. (meta)data are released with a clear and accessible data usage license R1.2. (meta)data are associated with detailed provenance R1.3. (meta)data meet domain-relevant community standards FAIR Principles Wilkinson, M., Dumontier, M., Aalbersberg, I. et al. The FAIR Guiding Principles for scientific data management and stewardship. Sci Data 3, 160018 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2016.18 FAIRs focus is very end-based FAIR is a great set of principles for data sharing However, this results in the principles primarily describing how to SHARE data in a re-usable fashion We need to dial it back and consider how to CREATE data that can then be MANAGED and SHARED for re-use You cannot retrospectively fix your FAIR mistakes CC BY-ND 4.0 Errant Science - https://errantscience.com/ Re-use starts with Creation The reusable principles provide a mechanism for others to understand what your data is and how to use it However, they do not cover how to CREATE data that is actually usable in the first place CC BY-ND 4.0 Errant Science - https://errantscience.com/ You can’t apply any of the Rs if you haven’t created quality data The role of Data Stewards The need for Data Stewards across the research data lifecycle Ensure that data is suitably documented, described and licensed for re-use. Possess skills required to facilitate data re-use. Given appropriate recognition for their role in the research process. Aid with the preparation of data for publication, including identifying appropriate licenses. In depth knowledge of identifying and using repositories for long-term data preservation. Advise on packaging up datasets with relevant (machine-readable) metadata and documentation. Understand data and research requirements for proposed work. Support creation of viable iterative Data Management Plans. Influence collection and capture processes for data. Tailor these to the nature of the research and data. Understand the principles of responsible research and integrity, and when ethics is required. Advise on best practices and tools for collaboration, e.g. secure storage processes, data transform mechanisms. This image is based on Jisc's Research Data Lifecycle taken from - https://www.jisc.ac.uk/guides/research-data-management-toolkit Limited Institutional Awareness Many institutions still don’t formally recognize the role or provide clear career paths, and many are unware Data Stewardship is a potential career. Status of Data Stewardship 1 Fragmented Role Placement Data stewardship tasks are often carried out by staff in libraries, research data management, or project teams without formal recognition. 2 Skills Gap There is a shortage of skilled data stewards, with growing demand for both data-specific and domain-specific expertise. S 3 Need for Collaboration tronger partnerships between data stewards and researchers are essential to embed good data practices and improve research outcomes. 4 Growing Recognition Data stewards are increasingly acknowledged as part of the Research Technical Professional landscape and for their vital role. 5 Research Technical Professionals Research Technical Professionals posess specialist skill sets that enable and enhance highquality research and research outputs. Research Technical Professionals Facility Managers Archivists Research Software Engineers Data Scientists Data Stewards Data Engineers Statisticians Informaticians Technicians Equipment Specialists Lack of Recognition Across Institutions RTP roles often go unrecognized, especially less visible ones like data stewards, with many performing these roles without formal credit. RTP Challenges 1 Unclear Role Definitions Many RTPs perform key functions without realizing or being formally identified as RTPs. 2 Limited Career Pathways Few institutions offer formal career paths, leaving RTPs on tracks that don’t support obvious advancement. 3 Institutional Disparities While some universities lead with structured RTP frameworks, many lack any formal concept or support. 4 Impact on Research Quality RTPs play a vital role in research quality but are often overlooked in institutional planning and recognition. 5 Doesn’t this sound familiar? 01 A Network+ Funded by the UKRI dRTP Call 02 Led out of the University of Southampton 1st April 2025 - 31 March 2029 st 03 Our key focus is Data Stewards, but we are keen to advocate for all Research Technical Professionals! Principal Investigator Senior Enterprise Fellow School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering University of Southampton Co-Investigator Professor of Digital Humanities Director of Digital Humanities School of Humanities University of Southampton PROFESSOR JAMES BAKER DR SAMANTHA PEARMAN-KANZA PROFESSOR SIMON COLES Co-Investigator Professor of Structural Chemistry School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering University of Southampton PROFESSOR SIMON HETTRICK Co-Investigator Professorial Enterprise Fellow School of Electronics and Computer Science University of Southampton MS ISOBEL STARK Co-Investigator Head of Research Data Management University Library University of Southampton DR LOUISE SAUL Network+ Coordinator Enterprise Fellow School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering University of Southampton CaSDaR Team & Details Advisory Board: Prof Christian Bokhove (University of Southampton & UKRN), Dr Sarah Callaghan (University of Oxford), Tao Chang – Arts & Humanities Research Council, Prof Jeremy Frey (University of Southampton & AIChemy Hub), Professor Tony Hey (STFC), Dr Guy Jones (Springer Nature), Dr Emma Karoune (Alan Turing Institute), Dr William Nixon (Research Libraries UK), Professor Andy Stanford-Clark (IBM UK), Dr Marta Teperek (University of Cambridge & Open Science NL), Dr Becca Wilson (University of Liverpool) Build a Community 1 Develop Career Pathways 3 Enabling Sustainability 5 24 Establish Data Stewards Recognition & Cultural Change Empowering Data Stewards for Research Excellence Create a supportive, diverse, inclusive, self sustaining community for data stewards. Run flagship events to bring the community together and allow them to drive us. Establish clear and accessible career pathways, with entry level routes, progression opportunities, taking into account the different skill requirements. Promote the recognition of data stewards, highlighting their critical role in managing and preserving research data. Establish a culture that values and supports data stewards. Develop sustainable models for data stewardship. Establish Data Steward Association that will empower our community to be self managed both during and after the grant. “Learn by doing”. Fund data stewards as “researchers on the ground” to understand roles and challenges across different institutions and (under represented) disciplines. CaSDaR Roadmap & Aims CaSDaR Deliverables Formal association with mission, governance, and membership criteria. Institutional Framework Resource Repository Skills Assessment CaSDaR Analysis Report Grant Awards Data Stewardship Association Models for roles, responsibilities, competencies, and career progression. Online database of job descriptions, career resources, and best practices. Report on UK data stewardship skills gaps to inform and enable tailored training. Impact analysis of CaSDaR activities on data stewardship and the community. Support Data Steward positions across different domains & UK research institutions. Conference Series Training Workshops Community Workshops Hackathons & Datathons CaSDaR Events https://casdar.ac.uk/events/ Launch event with interdisciplinary experts, to seed initial ideas, plans and to help us shape our roadmap, first funding call and workshop plans Large scale Data Steward Conferences to facilitate knowledge sharing and networking on an international scale Targeted training workshops to address specific data stewardship needs and skill development Bi-annual workshops to bring the community together for discussion, networking and knowledge sharing Interactive activities to foster collaboration and the ability to work on real world problems that require data stewardship. Townhall Launch An open call to bid to co-run events with CaSDaR and recieve our financial support will be launching in 2026 CaSDaR’s Core Values & Commitments 1. Data Collection 2. Performance Metrics 3. Analysis Tools 4. Reporting Embed EDI principles across all activities Provide inclusive, flexible support for all activities Accessible Venues for Meetings & Hybrid Events Code of Conduct to ensure inclusive supportive events Bursary fund for event attendance: casdar.ac.uk/casdarbursaries/ Foster a sense of belonging for all data stewards Promote teamwork and knowledge sharing within the data stewardship community Promote and upskill researchers in responsible and ethical data stewardship practices Recognise and credit all contributions to research data Targeted support for early career researchers for progression and acknowledgement Ensure long-term sustainability of data stewardship Support long-term preservation and accessibility of research data 5. Optimization Inclusivity Collaboration Integrity Recognition Sustainability