The DAU – what do they do?
The DAU, or the research data support, is the function within a higher education institution that aids researchers in managing, preserving, and making research data accessible. The DAU can be involved throughout the entire research project. While the DAU staff do not need to possess research expertise themselves, they must be able to determine when data, along with accompanying documentation and metadata, meet the required administrative and technical standards for preservation and accessibility, as well as identify appropriate preservation formats for data.
The DAUs collaborate with the Swedish National Data Service (SND) to ensure that research data produced with public funding at Swedish higher education institutions is preserved and described in a way that enables reuse by others in the future, whether that future is five or fifty years from now.
The local research data support
The term “DAU” stands for Data Access Unit, an English term adopted by SND to name local support functions for research data at higher education institutions. A comprehensive description of SND’s expectations from DAUs can be found in the document Description of the DAU.
Many institutions within the SND Network have chosen different names for these support functions, but their tasks are still broadly the same.
Organization of the DAU
A DAU does not need to be organized as a single unit; it can function as a network, a project team, or other cross-functional formations. At some institutions, it may be structured as a formal unit, while at others it may consist of loosely connected groups with various competencies drawn from different support services within the institution. Larger universities may even have more than one DAU.
To conduct its tasks effectively, a DAU needs a range of competencies, including expertise from the library, archives, research and innovation offices, as well as support from legal and IT staff.
Functions of the DAU
The tasks of a DAU range from training researchers and doctoral students in research data management and data management plans, to providing support in documentation and data curation during the research project, to receiving datasets and their descriptions, reviewing them, and ensuring they meet the quality standards required for publication, sharing, and preservation in a sustainable format in the institution's archives.
While having team members with personal research experience can be valuable, it is not a requirement. It is essential to remember that a DAU is not intended to serve as a specialized expert function but rather as a guiding generalist. By asking questions and offering suggestions, the DAU staff help researchers, who are the specialists, make appropriate decisions. In essence, data and metadata flow from researchers to the DAU and, after quality review, from the DAU to SND, archives, and storage or repository platforms.
For example, it may be sufficient for a DAU team member to suggest software for a particular situation; they do not need to provide training on how to use the software. Researchers can typically access such training through faculty method courses, summer schools, or the institution’s professional development courses. Similarly, if the DAU does not include a legal specialist, it is enough to identify potential legal issues without offering advanced legal expertise.
In summary, the role of a DAU is to provide support in matters related to the management, accessibility, and preservation of research data. This support is offered not by being subject-matter experts but by knowing when to ask the right questions.