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Institutional eResearch Manager Darryl Baker¶
Darryl Baker is an eResearch Manager at an academic institution, and provides eResearch support to numerous research projects across all disciplines and departments, including providing advice and services relating to computing and data storage facilities. Darryl keeps up to date with research-focused technologies and mentors researchers on the use of research systems. Darryl manages the resource that is the institutional computing and storage facilities allocated to research.
In the last four years the storage facility of the institution has reached peak capacity, requiring careful management of its resources. Darryl seeks budget approval to expand the current on-premise storage facility. Based on quotes provided by vendors, purchasing storage infrastructure proves to be expensive. Furthermore, this would be a short-term solution as the institution’s research data is predicted to exceed the storage limit within five years.
Recently, Professor Nepia contacted Darryl for eResearch services and support for her conservation genomics research team. Professor Nepia’s team works across multiple research projects, producing a growing amount of data over the last 10 years. Darryl meets with one of Professor Nepia’s research students, Taylor, to understand the eResearch needs of an upcoming project about a new species of lizards that is culturally significant to local Indigenous Peoples. In a face-to-face meeting, he gathers information about the data being produced. Early indications are that this project will generate vast amounts of data and function under a DMP.
Darryl wishes to understand the project-specific needs in order to advise on appropriate storage and computing solutions that will facilitate Indigenous data sovereignty and uphold the FAIR and CARE Guiding Principles. Darryl clearly understands the constraints arising from the institutional infrastructure, and the responsibilities of the researcher under national and institutional legislation.
Through conversations with researchers and research teams, Darryl can gain a clear vision of what they are trying to achieve. At the same time, Darryl holds the awareness of the constraints arising from institutional infrastructure, and the responsibilities of the researcher under national and institutional legislation.
Mouse-over for definitions: DMP. See the Glossary for full definitions.
Darryl’s key questions to support research groups in their data management journeys¶
| Question | Associated module providing solutions |
|---|---|
| What are the needs of the researcher, research team, and of their data? | Helping eResearch and libraries staff help you Module 04 |
| Is there a DMP for this research, and what does it contain? | Data Management Plans in practice Module 05 |
| How is the data intended to be stored, and for how long? | Hot, warm, and cold data storage Module 03 |
| Is the data properly labelled, and is there associated metadata? | The what, why and how of metadata Module 07 |
| Are there any additional considerations around the data? | Indigenous data sovereignty Module 06 |