Doing ESRC data better
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Dundee
Department Name: Leverhulme Research Ctr for Forensic Sci
Abstract
Combining three project stages and a mixed methods approach, we will conduct a robust review of the current ESRC policy and research, policy and legal landscape, solicit views from interested parties and construct an evidence base on which to make informed recommendations for an updated ESRC data policy for implementation. The project team is led by Professor Angela Daly, international expert in data governance and protection and recent Chair of the Independent Expert Group on Unlocking the Value of Data to the Scottish Government. The team brings interdisciplinary research, knowledge exchange and practitioner expertise across ESRC disciplines and data infrastructures to reviewing the current ESRC data policy and recommending updates to it in light of stakeholder feedback and views that we will seek through a comprehensive consultation process involving a survey and focus groups/interviews. We will also ensure that best practice in social science research data policies from international examples are identified and inform our work, to produce an updated ESRC data policy that is fit-for-purpose, easily implementable and future-proofed. The recommendations for an updated policy will be in line with the highest legal, ethical and best practice standards in the UK and internationally, and cohere with wider UKRI data policies and those of other relevant organisations in the UK and internationally. We will also suggest reasonable and feasible resources needed to implement the updated policy in practice.
Publications
Allanson P
(2025)
ESRC Research Data Policy in a Changing Landscape
in International Journal of Digital Curation
| Description | As a result of the work funded in the award, we conducted thorough and expansive stakeholder engagement which has produced a robust body of evidence on which we have based recommendations for reform of the ESRC's research data policy. We met fully our award objectives with the publication of our final report. Our key findings are a series of recommendations primarily for the ESRC and UKRI to change certain aspects of the ESRC's research data policy and its implementation, along with certain associated actions. UKRI and the ESRC plan to implement our findings. |
| Exploitation Route | Our outcomes are intended to be taken forward and put to use by the ESRC and UKRI. Other UKRI funding bodies may also find the outcomes informative for their own data policies and practices. The outcomes may also be informative for funding bodies outside of the UK. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy Education Government Democracy and Justice |
| Description | Influence on UKRI research data policies |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or improved professional practice |
| URL | https://www.ukri.org/news/ukri-developing-new-research-data-policy-framework/ |
| Description | Joining CODATA working group |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| URL | https://codata.org/initiatives/task-groups/data-ethics/ |
| Title | Doing ESRC Data Better: Appendices |
| Description | Appendix 1 Survey responses: tables showing frequency of responses to each of the statements Appendix 2 Survey respondent characteristics Appendix 3 Survey questions Appendix 4 Focus group guiding questions and topic guides |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The development of this dataset has underpinned the recommendations we have made to UKRI and ESRC which they are implementing. |
| URL | https://discovery.dundee.ac.uk/en/datasets/doing-esrc-data-better-appendices |
| Description | ongoing collaboration with UKRI |
| Organisation | United Kingdom Research and Innovation |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Since completing the project, we have had an ongoing, unfunded collaboration with UKRI and ESRC where we have been asked for advice and feedback on how UKRI and ESRC can best implement our findings. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our partners are progressing work on implementing our recommendations in their practice. |
| Impact | This is a multidisciplinary collaboration, stretching across ESRC disciplines to non-ESRC disciplines. We are in the process of producing outcomes in the form of policy implementations of our recommendations, which is included in the outputs/outcomes section. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Presentation at IDCC conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation to International Data Curation Conference, comprising an audience mainly of practitioners. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://dcc.ac.uk/events/idcc24 |
| Description | Presentation at knowledge exchange conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Academics, practitioners and members of the general public attended this talk at a knowledge exchange event which was hybrid and reached online participants based in North America, Europe and Africa, which sparked questions and discussions and has led to new collaborations. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.scottishinsight.ac.uk/Programmes/ScotlandinEurope/PublicSectorData.aspx |
| Description | Presentation to Data Protection Scholars Network |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Presentation to international group of data protection scholars and practitioners about data protection related aspects of ESRC data policy review, which sparked questions afterwards. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://dataprotectionscholars.network/post/dpd2024-programme/ |