scholarly journals Challenges in the Development and Curation of Species-plot Datasets in South Africa: The National Vegetation Database of phytosociological plots as a case study

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenda Daly
Keyword(s):  
Data Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
National Level ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Data Consistency ◽  
Ecological Data ◽  
Metadata Record ◽  
Vegetation Database

The South African National Biodiversity Institute is the custodian of numerous national level botanical and zoological datasets that have been collated over several decades and is mandated to ensure that taxonomic and ecological data are made available to the public through responsible data sharing. This study describes the nature of, and presents/discusses relevant standards for, the case study of the National Vegetation Database; the process adopted in the development of a vegetation-plot database; and current data management practices being undertaken in relation to the various stages of research data management. Phytosociological data is a record of vegetation abundance, richness, density and the associated environmental variables within a specified area or plot which usually includes a record of locality. The study aims to review the diversity of approaches in storing species-plot information in databases and to provide minimum data standards for these datasets. The surveying, classifying, and mapping of vegetation enables monitoring of ecosystems and ultimately can lead to improved conservation planning and land management. A coordinated and integrated approach is therefore needed to record, rectify, and manage these data and capture accurate metadata. Preliminary findings indicate that a lack of version control can impact the authenticity of the data if records are altered or deleted. Data affluence/abundance (currently comprised of 53 500 plots within 384 sample projects, totalling 1 064 770 species occurrence records) is a challenge because these data often differ in formats, varying methodologies, and metadata within these research projects. The curation of plot data requires a standardised approach in the different steps from data acquisition to provision of results. Species names need to coincide with currently accepted taxonomy, and although certain details are specific to a species-plot project depending on their research interest, various other data should be made consistent in terms of field names and formats to improve the quality of the resulting aggregated set of botanical records. All decisions to modify data records to achieve data consistency should be clearly explained in the metadata record for the dataset.

scholarly journals A Report of Data-Intensive Capability, Institutional Support, and Data Management Practices in Social Sciences

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Jeng ◽  
Liz Lyon
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Data Management ◽  
Data Science ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Institutional Support ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Management Support ◽  
Model Framework ◽  
Data Intensive

We report on a case study which examines the social science community’s capability and institutional support for data management. Fourteen researchers were invited for an in-depth qualitative survey between June 2014 and October 2015. We modify and adopt the Community Capability Model Framework (CCMF) profile tool to ask these scholars to self-assess their current data practices and whether their academic environment provides enough supportive infrastructure for data related activities. The exemplar disciplines in this report include anthropology, political sciences, and library and information science. Our findings deepen our understanding of social disciplines and identify capabilities that are well developed and those that are poorly developed. The participants reported that their institutions have made relatively slow progress on economic supports and data science training courses, but acknowledged that they are well informed and trained for participants’ privacy protection. The result confirms a prior observation from previous literature that social scientists are concerned with ethical perspectives but lack technical training and support. The results also demonstrate intra- and inter-disciplinary commonalities and differences in researcher perceptions of data-intensive capability, and highlight potential opportunities for the development and delivery of new and impactful research data management support services to social sciences researchers and faculty. 

scholarly journals The impacts of Meta Data Management on Social Dynamics: A Research Case Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Torrance Mayberry
Keyword(s):  
Data Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Social Dynamics ◽  
Complex Phenomenon ◽  
Critical Importance ◽  
Meta Data ◽  
Cognitive Ethnography ◽  
The Social ◽  
Emerging Themes

<p>Meta data management practices often overlook the role social dynamics play in harnessing the value of an organisation’s unique business language and the behaviours it creates. Using evidence from literature, interviews and cognitive ethnography, this research case sets out to explain the impacts of meta data management on social dynamics. The emerging themes (that is, newness, continual adaption, engagement tension, production tension, inefficiency and unreliability) represent salient factors by which organisations can be constrained in exploiting the worth of their meta data. This research emphasises the critical importance of organisations having a deeper understanding of the purpose and meaning of information. This understanding is a strength for creating value and for exploiting the worth arising in networks and in the social dynamics created within those networks. This strength contributes to organisations’ economic growth and is interdependent with their ability to manage complex phenomenon in a growing interconnected society.</p>

A Comparative Case Study of Indonesian and UK Organisational Culture Differences in IS Project Management

2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 28-37
Author(s):  
Andrew McDonald ◽  
Sven Helmer
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
National Level ◽  
Hierarchical Structures ◽  
Organisational Culture ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Business World ◽  
The United Kingdom

Information Systems (IS) Project Management (PM) is fundamental to the modern, constantly changing and upgrading business world and is impacted by culture on many levels. This research shows the extent to which organisational culture in international IS projects is impacted by culture found on a national level. Current data contributing to IS PM knowledge is provided by investigating two Information Technology (IT) firms in the telecommunications sector based in Indonesia and the United Kingdom undergoing system upgrade projects using a survey and interviews. Differing trends between these organisational cultures are identified (and a third international control group) in regard to hierarchical structures and managing conflict employing a version of Hofstede’s cultural survey as a basis.

scholarly journals Support Your Data: A Research Data Management Guide for Researchers

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e26439 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Borghi ◽  
Stephen Abrams ◽  
Daniella Lowenberg ◽  
Stephanie Simms ◽  
John Chodacki
Keyword(s):  
Data Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Research Data Management

Researchers are faced with rapidly evolving expectations about how they should manage and share their data, code, and other research materials. To help them meet these expectations and generally manage and share their data more effectively, we are developing a suite of tools which we are currently referring to as "Support Your Data". These tools, which include a rubric designed to enable researchers to self-assess their current data management practices and a series of short guides which provide actionable information about how to advance practices as necessary or desired, are intended to be easily customizable to meet the needs of a researchers working in a variety of institutional and disciplinary contexts.

A Comparative Case Study of Indonesian and UK Organisational Culture Differences in IS Project Management

2013 ◽  
pp. 46-55
Author(s):  
Andrew McDonald ◽  
Sven Helmer
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
National Level ◽  
Hierarchical Structures ◽  
Organisational Culture ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Business World ◽  
The United Kingdom

Information Systems (IS) Project Management (PM) is fundamental to the modern, constantly changing and upgrading business world and is impacted by culture on many levels. This research shows the extent to which organisational culture in international IS projects is impacted by culture found on a national level. Current data contributing to IS PM knowledge is provided by investigating two Information Technology (IT) firms in the telecommunications sector based in Indonesia and the United Kingdom undergoing system upgrade projects using a survey and interviews. Differing trends between these organisational cultures are identified (and a third international control group) in regard to hierarchical structures and managing conflict employing a version of Hofstede’s cultural survey as a basis.

scholarly journals Modifying researchers’ data management practices

IFLA Journal ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 253-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Hickson ◽  
Kylie Ann Poulton ◽  
Maria Connor ◽  
Joanna Richardson ◽  
Malcolm Wolski
Keyword(s):  
Data Management ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
Data Collection And Analysis ◽  
Management Plans

Data is the new buzzword in academic libraries, as policy increasingly mandates that data must be open and accessible, funders require formal data management plans, and institutions are implementing guidelines around best practice. Given concerns about the current data management practices of researchers, this paper reports on the initial findings from a project being undertaken at Griffith University to apply a conceptual (A-COM-B) framework to understanding researchers’ behaviour. The objective of the project is to encourage the use of institutionally endorsed solutions for research data management. Based on interviews conducted by a team of librarians in a small, social science research centre, preliminary results indicate that attitude is the key element which will need to be addressed in designing intervention strategies to modify behaviour. The paper concludes with a discussion of the next stages in the project, which involve further data collection and analysis, the implementation of targeted strategies, and a follow-up activity to assess the extent of modifications to current undesirable practices.

scholarly journals Strategies for Improving Recycling at a Higher Education Institution: A Case Study of the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamar Bailey ◽  
Maria Pena ◽  
Terry Tudor
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
West Indies ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
National Level ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
The West ◽  
Waste Management Practices ◽  
The University

Enhancing the sustainability of the management of waste from Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) is becoming an increasingly important issue, globally. Using the University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill campus, in Barbados as the case study HEI, and a combination of questionnaires, key informant interviews and waste audits, the study aimed to understand waste management practices on campus, as well as to gain an insight into how waste is managed at the national level. The results suggest that the key challenge facing sustainable waste management at the University and the country in general was limited financial resources. Key motivators for recycling at the UWI were its benefits to keeping the Campus clean and the generation of funds. The major barriers were a lack of motivation, high bin contamination and a lack of knowledge regarding the Recycling Initiative. Bin location had a significant impact on recyclable and contamination levels. Per capita overall and recyclable arisings at the University were 393.93 grams and 308.35 grams respectively. Recommendations included increased education and initiative awareness and strategies to reduce bin contamination. At the national level, increased public awareness programs and involving everyone in the process were key strategies proposed to overcome the challenges.

Assessing national flood management using a sustainable flood management framework

Water Policy ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 418-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. G. Kang ◽  
H. S. Jeong ◽  
J. H. Lee ◽  
B. S. Kang
Keyword(s):  
South Korea ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Stakeholder Participation ◽  
National Level ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
Flood Management ◽  
Flood Damage ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Interview Survey

This paper presents a prototype framework for sustainable flood management at the national level which features stakeholder participation, and is modified and applied to a case study. Through literature reviews and an interview survey of South Korea (the case study country), the causes of recent flood damage are found to be heavy rainfall due to climate change, urbanization, insufficient channel capacities and the application of inadequate measures. The interview survey also shows that, to reduce flood damage, along with consistent implementation of systematic long-term plans, minimizing injudicious artificial development is critical and necessary. Using the framework developed for South Korea on the basis of the findings and the prototype framework, national flood management is assessed and discussed. In particular, an implementation process based on flood risk management and integrated strategies is proposed to practically achieve the objectives of management practices with the cooperation of governmental organizations and stakeholders under circumstances of high uncertainty. Consequently, it is concluded that the effective conduct of sustainable flood management at the national level in South Korea requires a recognition of the context of flood management, cooperation and information sharing about flooding, and social learning and change, all of which can be achieved through the active participation of stakeholders.

scholarly journals Data Management Plans in Horizon 2020: what beneficiaries think and what we can learn from their experience

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 42
Author(s):  
Daniel Spichtinger
Keyword(s):  
Data Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Contact Point ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Horizon 2020 ◽  
Research And Innovation ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
First Time

Background: Data Management Plans (DMPs) are at the heart of many research funder requirements for data management and open data, including the EU’s Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, Horizon 2020. This article provides a summary of the findings of the DMP Use Case study, conducted as part of OpenAIRE Advance. Methods: As part of the study we created a vetted collection of over 800 Horizon 2020 DMPs. Primarily, however, we report the results of qualitative interviews and a quantitative survey on the experience of Horizon 2020 projects with DMPs. Results & Conclusions: We find that a significant number of projects had to develop a DMP for the first time in the context of Horizon 2020, which points to the importance of funder requirements in spreading good data management practices. In total, 82% of survey respondents found DMPs useful or partially useful, beyond them being “just” an European Commission (EC) requirement. DMPs are most prominently developed within a project’s Management Work Package. Templates were considered important, with 40% of respondents using the EC/European Research Council template. However, some argue for a more tailor-made approach. The most frequent source for support with DMPs were other project partners, but many beneficiaries did not receive any support at all. A number of survey respondents and interviewees therefore ask for a dedicated contact point at the EC, which could take the form of an EC Data Management Helpdesk, akin to the IP helpdesk. If DMPs are published, they are most often made available on the project website, which, however, is often taken offline after the project ends. There is therefore a need to further raise awareness on the importance of using repositories to ensure preservation and curation of DMPs. The study identifies IP and licensing arrangements for DMPs as promising areas for further research.

Enhancing Organisational Maturity with Benefits Management

2016 ◽  
pp. 1689-1703
Author(s):  
Jorge Gomes ◽  
Mário Romão
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Continuous Mapping ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Maturity Model ◽  
Maturity Level ◽  
Business Objectives ◽  
Business Challenges

The business challenges that some companies face require enterprise-wide solutions that call for an integrated approach and an effective management of organisational resources in order to achieve business objectives with an acceptable level of risk. A maturity model is an improvement approach which provides organisations with the essential elements for effective change. The maturity models process helps to integrate traditionally separate organisational functions, enhances goals and priorities, supplies guidance for quality processes and shares benchmarks for appraising current outcomes. The benefits management approach emerges as a complement to traditional management practices and proposes a continuous mapping of business benefits and the implementation and monitoring of intermediate results. Benefits management reinforces the distinction between project results and business benefits. Based on a case study, the authors show how a set of business objectives derived from a maturity level upgrade can be obtained from identifying, structuring and monitoring objectives and benefits. This was supported by information technology enablers and organisational changes which were all framed in an organisational maturity level that had been previously measured.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document