The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) has released its Future Data Services Phase One Report: Fixing the Data Pipeline. The report reviews current practices and provides a roadmap for the future of data discovery and access.
The ESRC has been investing in data services that enable researchers to discover, access and use data for almost 60 years. This includes projects such as the Social Science Research Council Databank (now UK Data Archive, the lead partner of the UK Data Service), which was founded in 1967, as well as more recent additions to the ESRC portfolio such as Administrative Data Research UK (ADR UK), established in 2018, and Smart Data Research UK (SDR UK) in 2022.
A clear vision
Central to the ESRC’s vision is ensuring researchers can easily discover, explore and use data efficiently and effectively – one of the key benefits of investing in infrastructures such as the UK Data Service.
Data service infrastructures allow researchers to address challenges in our society and improve our wellbeing. The report identifies five principles for how data services – and the people who deliver them – can play a key role in making this research easier to deliver and improving the insights it generates.
Steve McEachern, Director of the UK Data Service, said: “This report is a key step in establishing the next generation of data services in the UK. The UK Data Service has played an important role in supporting the work of the ESRC’s Future Data Services programme and we’re pleased to see the report lay out such a clear vision for a seamless, connected and researcher-centred data service landscape.
“We fully support the ESRC’s recommendations on how this vision can be realised. The commitment to invest in technological change and an upskilled workforce is closely aligned with the priorities outlined in our service strategy. We are also delighted to see the focus on a federated, ‘whole system’ approach and look forward to collaborating with other ESRC/UKRI investments to take forward sustainable, pan-service work that can provide solutions to the challenges the report identifies.”
Report highlights: Five guiding principles for future data services
As part of the report process, the ESRC reviewed its data service infrastructures to ensure they meet the challenges of the rapidly evolving technological landscape.
The review covered the following areas, augmented by a cross-cutting theme, technology:
- Discovery and Curation
- Data Access and User Support
- People, Organisations and Culture
- Public Engagement
Through extensive consultation with researchers, data professionals, data custodians and technologists, a set of actionable recommendations were generated that aim to deliver the ESRC’s vision for a seamless, connected, researcher-centred data service landscape that harnesses new technologies and maximises data usage for public good.
These recommendations were underpinned by five guiding principles that aim to transform how the ESRC’s data services operate:
- Co-design: Data services designed with researchers by default
- Co-deliver: Services that collaborate and “join the dots”
- Invest in people: Building expertise in data and research
- Shift the culture: Focus on delivering better research outcomes
- Talk to the public: Confidently explaining why data and data infrastructures matter
The report signals the ESRC’s intention to support data infrastructure investments to achieve a federated, “whole system” outlook, with improvements underpinned by investment in technological change and an upskilled workforce to deliver it.
What will the ESRC do next?
The ESRC is currently working with its existing infrastructures to support the implementation of the recommendations. This includes making funding opportunities available in the future to provide new investment in data service infrastructures and deliver more curiosity-driven research.
The next step for the ESRC will be to support its data infrastructure investments to achieve a “federated data services landscape” by enabling teams across the investments to connect and co-deliver consistent and improved services.
Further information
See Future data services – UKRI for more information and project updates. You can also read more about the report in an accompanying blog by Richard Welpton from the ESRC that we have published at the UK Data Service Data Impact blog.
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by Professor Felix Ritchie and Dr Elizabeth Green, University of the West of England. A repository of technical reports that supported this review can be found at ESRC Future Data Services – Projects | UWE Bristol.
Fiona McKenzie and Olivia Ross-Hurst (Human Centred Health) supported the ESRC review of public engagement practices.