Within the working group, we maintain several subgroups intended to work on individual projects and goals. Created based on research data management needs identified by RDMWG members, the subgroups allow for multiple projects to be worked on in parallel, and RDMWG to grow its data management presence in the Longwood Medical Area.
Below are both current and archived subgroup summaries, yearly goals, and accomplishments. If you are interested in joining a subgroup, please send an email to the lead person listed on each page.
Data Management Plans
The subgroup will work to compile existing documentation and develop additional materials for project-specific Data Management Plans (DMPs). It will create and publish resources for generating DMPs that support data management throughout the data lifecycle. The subgroup will look for collaborative opportunities with other groups to better understand the needs of biomedical researcher and labs.
Harvard Biomedical Data Management Website
The subgroup will review, maintain, and expand the Harvard Biomedical Data Management website, created to provide a central location for sharing information about best practices and resources for the management of biomedical research data at Harvard Medical School, the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and Harvard-affiliated hospitals. This subgroup will keep the website up-to-date, and oversee larger projects to develop new content for the site. This project will also work to improve the usability and aesthetics of the website. Using feedback from website users and shared expertise from subgroup members, the website will remain well positioned to offer educational resources and information to the Harvard biomedical community.
Outreach and Training
This subgroup seeks to collect and disseminate a variety of continuing education programs and services that focus on biomedical research data management. In addition, through a focused outreach approach, the subgroup continuously evaluates community needs and interests. The connections and resources generated through this effort will target many levels of users and will allow for the RDMWG to engage community members and explore their challenges related to managing data.
Research Workflows and Metadata
The Research Workflows and Metadata subgroup seeks to understand how researchers navigate through each stage of the data lifecycle. This project allows the RDMWG a more thorough understanding of how individual labs collect, organize, access and store project data. Using real world examples gathered by the subgroup, the RDMWG will be able to make data management recommendations to other labs who have similar workflows. The subgroup works with researchers to investigate the use of metadata in labs in order to identify best practices, set up directory structures, and make workflow recommendations. This project will educate users on metadata collection and documentation in relation to the data lifecycle.
Electronic Lab Notebooks
The Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELN) subgroup formed out of an interest to create a community of practice around digital record-keeping methods. The subgroup accomplishments include collecting information about researcher's ELN practices, developing a decision-making tool for selecting ELNs, and providing guidance around ELN recommended practices.