High Level Business Case

CC BY 4.0

Background

There are currently very few published business cases, or detailed information about the costs involved when undertaking Research Data Management (RDM). However, there are funder mandates and in general research data management is seen as essential to research integrity.

Without a clear, evidence based business case organisations can find it difficult to establish funding commitments for RDM services. Even where services do exist, the lack of robust costing models and comparisons frustrates attempts to measure and realise efficiency savings to reduce costs. In addition, more systematic research data management throughout the research lifecycle is relatively new and there are undoubtedly new practices and costs in transitioning to a situation where research data management is business as usual.

Whilst there is some movement towards standard practices (such as the use of data management plans) there is little cost standardisation. Where tools and techniques exist to help measure and compare processes, they're not optimised for research data management. Of course business cases are not all about costs, much of the business case should be about value and benefits. However, articulating value is challenging when research is changing and the rewards and recognitions for accessible and re-useable research data are not currently well established in research practice.

As a contribution to the development of business cases we’ve commissioned Research Consulting to produce a high level business case for research data management underpinned by economic evidence where possible. The purpose of this is to provide practitioners with information to use to help make the case and also to bring together some of the arguments that will provide policy makers, funders and those in decision making roles in institutional management with useful examples when making the case for better research data management.

Downloadable High level business case

Research Data Management: High Level Business Case

Overview of the highlevel business case for research data managemet with embeded links to supporting cases studies and videos from thought leaders.

Please note that this Word document is macro enabled to allow the links to operate correctly.

Please note also that the linked videos are currently hosted on a sharepoint server which requires a Microsoft login. Until they are placed on their new host you will need a Microsoft account to view them.

This article shows you how to get a free Microsoft account if you haven't already got one.

Further formats with links to easily accessible video content will be published as soon as possible.