Population Research UK - Skills Development for Managing Longitudinal Data for Sharing

About the project

This project aims to increase and expand the skills and expertise available to support the wider sharing and increased use of Longitudinal Population Studies (LPS) data resources.

Providing training and support for social sciences data producers and owners has deepened our understanding of the challenges and barriers in social science data sharing. Traditionally the UK Data Service takes a proactive approach in preparing research data management training materials: engaging with the target audience, understanding challenges, setting clear and concise objectives and considering feedback and adapting training as and if needed. A similar proactive approach is employed for this project. This will develop our understanding of biomedical-specific data sharing barriers, build on existing knowledge and prepare further training materials to be used within the LPS community across social and biomedical sciences.

The project will run from October 2023 to March 2025.

Background

The principal LPS funders in the UK, the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Medical Research Council (MRC), and Wellcome, have been working together on how to support activities to further increase the use and value of longitudinal studies that generate population data. In November 2020, the three funders commissioned Health Data Research UK (HDRUK) to undertake a ‘Design and Dialogue’ scoping phase, involving extensive consultation with data users and those running data investments. This resulted in a prospectus (published December 2021) that helped guide activities needed to maximise LPS data use across disciplines through a planned ESRC and MRC joint investment, known as Population Research UK (PRUK)1.

Population Research UK (PRUK) is a new national resource designed to maximise the use of, and benefits from, UK longitudinal population studies across social, economic and biomedical science. Population Research UK is funded by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Infrastructure Fund.

ESRC and MRC, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), commissioned activities to inform and help address some critical challenges and opportunities facing the LPS community in preparation of the PRUK launch. They invited a proposal from the UK Data Service to expand and enhance current training provision for LPS data resource management for sharing, with reference to the funders’ Research Data Policies.

Objectives

Carry out a brief audit of existing relevant provision and opportunities.
Identify unmet needs through working with LPS representatives and other key stakeholders, encompassing differing arrangements and approaches across diverse studies, using a collaborative workshop approach.
Use, build on and learn from existing training provision, including utilising existing expertise, experience and networks, wherever this is located.
Co-design additional skills development provision modules in priority areas such as data cleaning, management and sharing, data documentation and metadata provision to support data sharing.
Convene a group representing a selection of studies across social and biomedical sciences that can be consulted by the UK Data Service and provide input, especially on diversity in practices and approaches.
Deliver the training provision, including co-delivery with subject experts where this is beneficial, with clear evidence of mechanisms to enable all training provisions to be inclusive and support diversity.
Gather feedback and learning and carry out a light-touch evaluation.
Document the whole process from engagement, co-design, delivery, feedback and evaluation, to provide learning and future recommendations.