Adding Value and Facilitating Data Reuse: the Case of the 4TU.Centre for Research Data

Abstract

The history of the 4TU.Centre for Research Data goes back to 2008, when it started as a project of the libraries of three technical universities in the Netherlands. The aim was to serve the data curation needs of heterogeneous research communities. Fast forward ten years, and over 90% of the data stored in the 4TU archive are geoscientific datasets coded in netCDF (Network Common Data Form). This is a data format and model that, although generic, is mostly and widely used in atmospheric sciences and oceanography. As an endeavour to ensure that the 4TU.Centre for Research Data remains relevant and successful in the long term, we are exploring options for expanding the services related to netCDF data and potentially build a community of netCDF data depositors and users. Here we present the results of semi-structured, qualitative interviews with eleven researchers, all based in the Netherlands, who use and produce netCDF data; nine of them deposited netCDF data in the 4TU archive. These researchers represent heterogeneous research communities within the Earth sciences, with different views and attitudes to data archiving and publishing. Any new services or community building attempts will need to take this diversity into account. A common need for training and advice may guide the way forward for the 4TU.Centre for Research Data.

Making Mathematical Research Data FAIR: Pathways to Improved Data Sharing

“…It aims to facilitate the sharing of research datasets and guarantees their long-term access by adhering to FAIR principles. The repository has been online since 2010 36 , it is based on Figshare technology, and it is hosted and managed by the TU Delft Library. As of June 2023, it hosts slightly more than 8,000 items, which include 7,850 datasets and 174 software items.…”