Meister – Question 3

¶ 1 Leave a comment on paragraph 1 0 Data curation is important to non-data curators because they do not want to have to spend time thinking about data curation. Data creators and users want to focus on creating and using data, engaging in research, and producing knowledge. Data curation is a means to an end for most creators and users, and it functions best if it requires as little effort as possible on their part. While they may not be interested in the details, a data curation service can provide valuable benefits to non-data curators, including:

• ¶ 2 Leave a comment on paragraph 2 0
• Ensuring the authenticity and integrity of data
• Assistance with grant funding for data management requirements
• Increased access and distribution of data
• Increased opportunities for new uses
• Increased visibility of research through data citation

¶ 3 Leave a comment on paragraph 3 0 Beyond the sphere of the individual creator and researcher, data curation has important applications at the organization or institutional level. In a university context, many fundamental business functions rely on the creation of, management of, and access to data assets. The principles of data curation have a direct application at the organizational level, especially in relation to maintaining the authenticity and integrity of the data. As most university business functions are built into enterprise-level systems, data curators have an important role to play in providing guidance on the types of system functionality needed to provide both near-term and potentially long-term access to data assets. The terminology and approach of data curation may not be familiar to non-data curators, potentially necessitating an outreach and education strategy. A good communication strategy to educate and inform non-data curators includes a balance of the benefits of integrating the data curation perspective and the potential risks of not incorporating this approach into enterprise-level system development.