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          CR4: Improve information management practice in research communities

          CR4 Report [PDF 1.4Mb]. 

          Overview

          According to the DART proposal document (available from http://www.dart.edu.au), the primary objective of DART Work Package CR4 is to “improve information management practice in research communities”. In order to accomplish this, the proposal outlines the following objectives:

          • Develop guidelines for best information management practice for research dataset issues;
          • Locate research teams with dataset information management issues, preferably in the areas of the Demonstrators (Climate Research, X-ray Crystallography, Humanities/Social Sciences);
          • Embed information management professionals into these teams;
          • Get these professionals to identify areas requiring improved information management practices;
          • Develop strategies and guidelines to improve these barriers; and
          • Test these strategies and guidelines in a range of disciplines.

          Work Package CR4 began using these objectives as a base, however the focus shifted toward work on the DART Demonstrators as the Project progressed. This refocusing enabled CR4 to fulfil the above objectives effectively.

          Methodology

          The primary objective of CR4 was to develop information management best practice by embedding information management professionals into research teams. The Work Package began with this focus in its initial stages by analysing the current system of a specific Demonstrator (X-ray Crystallography), with a view to enhancing the system with information management best practice guidelines. In June 2006, CR4 staff were asked to assist with the development of a Demonstrator for Climate Research, as the progress of that aspect of the Work Package had stalled. It was determined that having “a person on the ground” would allow the DART Project to explore the requirements of the climate researchers, which would then lead to a superior end product. In this way, CR4 staff began to assist with this aspect of the Project, and the focus of CR4 began to shift towards the development of the Demonstrators, rather than explicitly applying information management best practice. The increasing need for the development of the Crystallography, Climate Research and Digital History Demonstrators was the main driver for this change, especially as the demonstrators were among the main deliverables of the Project.

          CR4