The RDM-AG is a working group consisting of interested researchers and representatives of the infrastructure facilities that develops processes, guidelines and best practices for research data management at Witten/Herdecke University.

The Research Data Working Group meets quarterly and as required. Goals include

• Strategic planning: We develop guidelines for research data management. These should enable a trusting and sustainable, quality-oriented handling of research data.
• Coordination: The working group promotes cooperation between all stakeholders at the UW/H on RDM. We are networked with national and international RDM initiatives in order to implement best practices and to always be up to date in the RDM communities.
• Technical infrastructure: We advise on new acquisitions and developments of technical infrastructure for research data management. This provides UW/H researchers with optimal working conditions and technical support for their research work. Technical infrastructure is often also provided very well in various collaborations (synergies, avoidance of duplication of work).
• Promotion of open science: The Research Data Working Group supports open science initiatives in line with the FAIR principles ("as open as possible, closed as necessary").

The following areas of work are derived from the objectives:

• Solutions for technical infrastructures, e.g. for storing data (local solutions, Dataverse, external providers, cloud solutions, Sciebo, etc.)
• Collaboration in various NFDI consortia
• Publication of a research data policy (guideline for handling research data at the UW/H)
• Description of research data (knowledge graph, metadata, tools, processes, presentation, visualization)
• Dealing with research software
• Current developments in research data management in NRW (DH.NRW, fdm.nrw, Coscine)
• Current developments in research data management at the EOSC, in the NFDI and Base4NFDI (basic service developments)
• Data sharing/sharing and publishing research data (scope, services, search engines, verification) in line with the FAIR principles
• Licenses (Who may decide on research data? Which licenses should become standard?)
• Retention periods (Which research data should be stored and for how long?)
• Data quality (minimum quality standards, peer review of data, formal control)
• Research data from the clinics that collaborate with the UW/H and possibilities for subsequent use

If you have any questions or would like to become part of the working group, please contact Annette Strauch-Davey.