Digital Preservation Coalition

Research Information Network

Excerpt from DPC Annual Report 2008-2009

Much of the RIN’s recent and current work in digital preservation focuses on research data management and sharing. In the summer of 2008, we published our To share or not to share report (www.rin. ac.uk/data-publication), which investigated how researchers in a representative range of disciplines make their research available to others, the issues they encounter when doing so, and the problems or disincentives they face.

Nearing completion is a separate project, in the form of case studies (www.rin. ac.uk/case-studies) on understanding life scientists’ information needs and uses. This detailed behavioural analysis includes a strong focus on the relationship between researchers and the digital content that they use and create. The report from this work will be published in October and will serve as a prelude to similar case studies in other disciplinary areas.

Finally, we have recently commissioned, jointly with JISC, a study on the uses and benefits of research data centres in the UK, to be completed in March 2010.