The increasingly important role of Research Data Management (RDM) was the topic of discussion during the fifth annual Data Day at Queen’s on Wednesday, May 2.

The keynote address was given by Jeff Moon, Director, Portage Network, who described the RDM landscape in Canada, focusing on journal and funding-agency requirements surrounding research data. Moon also reviewed the emerging Tri-Agency RDM Policy and ways that Portage has been proactively addressing each of the three pillars in this policy. 

“Information about the emerging Tri-Agency RDM Policy updates and informs researchers and administrators on this important and impending set of research-related requirements,” he says. “Information about Portage platforms and services will help researchers and administrators understand and implement effective RDM practices to support high impact research. Our goal is to move the yardstick forward in understanding the importance of good RDM at Queen’s.”

This topic fit well with the offerings of Queen’s University Library, which continues to collaborate and advance Research Data Management in Canada. 

“Data Day at Queen’s is an ideal opportunity for the Queen’s community to learn about a range of data-related issues and solutions,” Moon says. “The organizers have done a great job pulling together a fantastic agenda for the day.  As a long-time member of the Queen’s community, I am thrilled to be able to share some of what I have learned in my new role as Director of Portage. I always look forward to the conversations and sharing that Data Day seems to engender.”

The Portage Network is a national Research Data Management initiative designed to assist researchers, institutions, and other stakeholders through a library-based network of RDM experts and national online platforms for planning, preserving, and discovering research data. Portage was launched in 2015 by the Canadian Association of Research Libraries, and works within the library community to coordinate expertise, services, and technology in research data management, seeking to collaborate with other research data management stakeholders.

Through its experts and partner organizations, Portage delivers nationally-coordinated RDM services and infrastructure platforms that respond directly to researcher and institutional needs.  Examples include the DMP Assistant, an online, bilingual, data management planning tool, training resources, and FRDR, the Federated Research Data Repository. The strength of this federated model stems from its promotion and enabling of sharing – of data resources, expertise, and technology, locally, regionally, provincially, and nationally.