Requirements

This initial stage gathered research data management requirements and understand of the issues and views of researchers (see example main interview questions below).

Overview of main interview questions

1. Data
1.1. What does “data” mean to you?
1.2. What data do you have?
1.3. How do you record what the data is / means?
1.4. What format is your data in?
1.5. Where is your data stored?
1.6. Approximate size of data?
1.7. Is any of your data intrinsically linked to any applications?
1.8. What is the most valuable data you have?
1.9. Is data of value independently or as part of a whole set?
 
2. Lifecycle
2.1. What is the lifecycle of your data?
2.2. Where does data come from and where does it go?
2.3. Can you visualise your data lifecycle?
2.4. Is your data backed up?
2.5. What is your deletion policy?
2.6. How do you process or analyse the data?
2.7. Where do you analyse or process the data?
2.8. When is the data used?
2.9. How is your data archived?
2.10. How changeable is your data over time?
2.11. What is your final outcome - data or process?
2.12. How much do you know about your data before you start working?
2.13. Does your data transcend projects or is it only used in a single project?
 
3. Legislation
3.1. Who do you get funding from?
3.2. What policy and legislation are you aware of that covers your data?
3.3. What sorts of access is required to your data and by whom?
3.4. How secure does your data need to be?
 
4. Future
4.1. What would you want to do that you can’t do now?
4.2. What should you be doing now but aren’t or can’t?
4.3. Is the interviewee aware of things that they ought to be doing now but can’t?
4.4. Who might need access to data in the future and how might this change?
4.5. What data exists that you would like to get access to?
 
5. Other
5.1. Anything else which the interviewee thinks might be useful?
5.2. Would the interviewee be happy to provide further information, interviews, written comments, or ISS audit in the future?
5.3. Who else might we usefully interview?
5.4. What else should we have asked? 

Download as Word document (example main questions ). A shorter online line survey will also be authored. Other ways to get involved in project are described here.