Recommendations from the KAFFE project

Based on the results of the KAFFE project, SND presents recommendations for the continued development of the Swedish e-infrastructure landscape for research data. The recommendations build on the needs and challenges expressed by researchers in the interviews conducted within the KAFFE project, as well as on discussions in SND’s steering committee.

The KAFFE recommendations are rooted in researchers’ perspectives and needs regarding research data management throughout the phases of research that circle around research data – from planning to active data collection and processing, to making data available and ensuring long-term preservation – each of which places different demands on responsibilities, infrastructure, and support. By taking research practice as their point of departure, the recommendations highlight areas where researchers experience shortcomings in support, infrastructure, and the distribution of responsibilities.

The recommendations are central to reducing the gap between policy and practice, strengthening national coordination, and ensuring that the development of e-infrastructure is based on the actual needs of research and researchers. They are addressed to actors at several levels and should be seen as a coherent basis for prioritization, collaboration and further development.

Recommendations at national level

1. Strengthen the national coordination and distribution of responsibilities

National coordination of e-infrastructure for research should be clarified and strengthened.

This should include:

clarified mandates and responsibilities between national actors
deliberate and clearly defined collaboration between research infrastructures within and outside the remit of the Swedish Research Council
systematic inclusion of the researcher perspective in national reviews, mappings, and development initiatives
maintained and deepened collaboration between local research data support functions at higher education institutions and other research-performing organizations.

A shared terminology is a prerequisite for effective coordination.

2. Evaluate and formalize the use of data management plans

Data management plans should be integrated with other support and quality assurance processes to examine their function, use, and effects.

This should include:

evaluation in relation to actual benefit
adaptation to different research practices
design that ensures that cost and administrative burden are proportionate to the benefit.

3. Ensure storage during the active research phase

The conditions for secure and fit-for-purpose storage of research data during the active project period be clarified and strengthened.

This should include:

access to storage solutions adapted to the capacity, performance and security needs of research
support for research collaboration within and between higher education institutions, version management, and continuous backup
clear guidance on information security, data protection, and the management of sensitive data
national consensus on the distribution of responsibilities for such solutions.

4. Ensure storage and management before and during the process of making research data available

The conditions for making research data available should be strengthened through fit-for-purpose storage solutions and support.

This should include:

access to repositories and other solutions for publishing and making data available
ensuring that research data are made available in a way that enables and facilitates reuse, including requirements for sufficient, standardized, and machine-readable metadata;
ensuring that metadata are made searchable and visible through national and international services, for example through exposure in Researchdata.se
guidance on legal and ethical aspects, including licensing and the management of personal data
guidance on, and coordination of, archive-related issues and archive regulations
national consensus on the distribution of responsibilities for such solutions, in accordance with recommendation 1 above.

5. Clarify responsibilities and strategies for long-term preservation of research data

A national review of archive and preservation issues related to research data should be carried out.

This should include:

the distribution of responsibilities between researchers, higher education institutions, and national actors
strategies for disposition and long-term readability
clear and practical guidance for researchers on archive and preservation issues.

Recommendations for the SND Network

6. Continue systematic needs assessment

The work on researcher interviews should continue within the network, using a shared methodology and with support from the SND office, to maintain and regularly renew the understanding of researchers’ current needs.

7. Deepen the understanding of research practices

The interview work could usefully be complemented by in-depth studies of actual data practices, such as researcher shadowing, to better understand how policy requirements meet everyday research practice.

8. Map the perspective of research support functions

A national mapping of the needs and conditions of research support functions should be carried out, with the aim of strengthening the link between support organizations and research practices.

Recommendations for higher education institutions

9. Clarify the responsibility for and organization of research data

Higher education institutions should clarify the distribution of responsibilities for and organization of research data management.

This should include:

clarified roles between researchers, departments, and support functions
clear and formalized coordination of different support functions within the higher education institution
clear contact routes for researchers.

10. Provide coherent support and infrastructure

Higher education institutions should provide researchers with coherent support in research data management throughout the entire data lifecycle.

This should include:

storage solutions for the active project phase, data dissemination, and preservation
support for data management plans, documentation, and metadata
coordinated services for publication and archiving.

Documentation refers to information that describes research data, their structure, origin, processing, and use, so that the data can be understood and reused even after the end of the project.

11. Strengthen expertise and support for researchers

Higher education institutions should ensure that researchers have access to relevant expertise and support in matters relating to research data management.

This should include:

training in research data management and open science
advice on archive-related issues, laws and regulations, ethics, and information security
practical support in connection with making data available and reusing data.

12. Integrate open science into the incentive structures of higher education institutions

Open science practices, such as the publication of research data, should be given clearer weight in assessment criteria and merit systems.

Recommendations for research funders

13. Integrate open science into the incentive structures of research funders

Open science practices, such as the publication of research data, should be given clearer weight in assessment criteria and merit systems.

14. Establish targeted support for the preservation and reuse of data

Targeted initiatives should be implemented to support the preservation and reuse of data.

This should include:

preservation to ensure long-term access to datasets of particular scientific, societal, or cultural-historical value, for example data that are unique, difficult to replace, resource-intensive to recreate, or significant for future research and societal development
secondary analyses of existing data
development of good practices in open science.

Recommendations for the SND office

15. Make the KAFFE results available and continue to develop them

The SND office should:

ensure that the KAFFE project’s material and methodology can be shared and reused nationally
make central parts of the project available in English
continue the analytical work and develop visualizations to support strategic planning.

16. Create a national overview of similar initiatives

The SND office should compile and analyse previous and ongoing mappings of research data practices at Swedish higher education institutions, to identify common patterns and development needs.

17. Collaborate with related national initiatives

The SND office should actively collaborate with other national initiatives in research support and digital infrastructure, particularly where the researcher perspective has previously been underrepresented.

The KAFFE recommendations can be downloaded on Zenodo and are accessible through the following DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20539233.