Guidance: Informing about RDM

Context

Research data management (RDM) guidance forms the backbone of responsible data practice. When such guidance is clear, accessible, and well-maintained, it enables researchers to act autonomously, comply with funder and institutional requirements, and engage with FAIR and open science in a meaningful way. However, in many institutions, RDM information remains fragmented, hard to find, or inconsistently maintained, making even the most motivated researchers dependent on personal contacts or ad hoc support.

The availability and visibility of guidance materials, such as data policies, DMP templates, file naming conventions, or metadata standards, serve as a key signal of institutional maturity. Good guidance is not just published; it is proactively communicated, clearly structured, and kept up to date. Without deliberate maintenance and promotion, outdated documents and buried intranet pages undermine trust and make it harder for staff to deliver consistent support.

This challenge is especially pronounced in federated or decentralised environments, such as ELIXIR Nodes or research institutions with distributed support teams. In these settings, alignment across levels is essential. National tools like RDMkit and FAIRsharing can provide a foundation, but local contextualisation and visibility remain critical. A template or checklist is only useful if researchers can find it, understand it, and trust that it is current.

Data stewards play a key role in ensuring that guidance is not just written, but usable. They help select appropriate communication channels, embed resources in onboarding or training materials, and keep track of evolving standards and requirements. Institutions that assign clear responsibilities for guidance maintenance, promote content through multiple entry points, and review materials regularly are more likely to build trust, reduce redundant support requests, and foster sustainable RDM practices.

Guidance

Providing clear and accessible RDM information and guidelines helps data stewards and their institutions strengthen their support for researchers. The following tips are organised around four core areas: centralisation, visibility, maintenance, and communication, reflecting organisational experience and established support models.

1. Centralise RDM guidance

✔ Create a single access point
Host all RDM guidance in one clearly structured platform (internal or public) covering the full research lifecycle, including policies, DMPs, metadata, consent, sharing, and storage.

✔ Structure by researcher workflow
Organise content around research phases and user needs, not institutional structures.

✔ Integrate external resources
Link to trusted materials (e.g. RDMkit, FAIRsharing, DSW) and provide details on local context for applicability.

✔ Offer reusable formats, for example:

Downloadable and printable templates
Standardised DMP and consent form examples
Checklists and quick‑reference guides

2. Make RDM guidance visible and findable

✔ Link from strategic locations
Ensure guidance is accessible from:

Library, ethics, IT, and research office portals
Onboarding and training platforms

✔ Design for quick uptake
Use plain language, short paragraphs, headings, bullet points, and visuals. Avoid institutional or policy jargon.

✔ Optimise for search
Tag pages with relevant keywords (e.g. FAIR, consent, metadata, DMP) to improve both internal and external discoverability.

✔ Use physical-to-digital connections
Add QR codes on:

Posters in research spaces
Flyers and slide decks for events and training

3. Maintain content quality and currency

✔ Assign ownership
According to available resources, appoint at least two named maintainers for each section to ensure continuity and shared accountability.

✔ Show update history
Timestamp pages and use version control to build trust in currency.

✔ Review regularly
Establish fixed review cycles (e.g. every 6–12 months) to: