Thing 23: Making connections

Keep learning and stay connected after 23 (research data) Things. Take time to celebrate and reflect on all you've learned since joining the 23 (research data) Things.

Time to celebrate and make a plan

How will you celebrate your new found skills and knowledge and what do you plan to do next to further your data literacy journey? There are so many ways to keep in touch and up to date with data. The info below is not exhaustive - you are now data literate and can help us grow this list!

It’s not the end of 23 (research data) Things!

23 (research data) Things will remain online for you to:

Come back and fill in your Thing-gaps
Re-purpose, adapt or contextualise using the 23 (research data) Things Repurpose Toolkit

Keep in touch and keep on learning

Join an online group

Share your thoughts with the Data librarians community
Research Data Alliance - international interest and working groups on a wide range of data topics
ALIA special interest groups - data is increasingly a normal part of every interest group
RESEARCH-DATAMAN (JISC, UK) - click on Subscribe to join the email list

Meet ups and Hacky hours: in-person fun for data minded folk

There are so many meetup groups and they are geographically specific - search “data” in Meetup: eg

Hacky Hours are often fun - just search ‘hacky hour’ in your browser

Get social with Twitter

@ARDC_au @openaccess_oz @ScientificData @UKDataArchive #ResearchData @resdatall

Keep on learning through “Do It Yourself“

Bookmark 23 (research data) Things and make a regular date with yourself to refresh your skills
Managing Data @Melbourne – an online training program in Research Data Management in 6 modules – an online training program in Research Data Management in 8 modules
School of data - lots of DIY courses on a range of data related topics. Data fundamentals, Cleaning, Extracting, Mapping, collecting data using smartphones, Aid data, Budget data
Research Data Management Self-Education for Librarians: A Webliography: Whilst pretty US centric, there are many useful links for MOOCs, Journals which join data and Librarianship
New England Collaborative Data Management Curriculum: 7 modules (using Word and Powerpoint) which you can customise for your institution

Get data tech-savvy

Opportunities abound for those who want to stretch the technical boundaries of data management:

Start by checking out the Challenge me activities for 23 (research data) Things and grow your tech-data literacy skills
The Carpentries courses are offered around Australia by various community groups
Get on the email lists for ResBaz, GovHack
ARDC News (ARDC fortnightly newsletter) has lots of webinars and tech-focused events

Get serious about your data future

Now you have completed 23 (research data) Things think about: Will you help to fill the growing shortage of people with data skills in the one of the sexiest jobs of the 21st century? And, data jobs aren’t always mathematical or statistical!

Librarians as partners in research data service
Fiona Tweedie is a fascinating example of someone who started her career in Roman History and is now Data Scientist for the Australian Ballet

Get a data qualification

There are over 90 Australian courses offering data related units in Information Science, Health, Business, IT, Engineering, Science, and more. Data courses are offered across a range of Universities, at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, online and on campus - something for everyone.

This Excel spreadsheet (XLSX, 0.05 MB) has about 90 courses listed.
This is a dynamic, community-supported list of international RDM educational opportunities
ESIP Data Management Training Clearinghouse
Free online MOOC on Big Data Visualization
Free online MOOC on Big Data Measuring and predicting human behaviour

Sometimes there are individual data units offered within a discipline degree, others have a number of electives or majors. Some courses specifically in Data Management are also available

e.g. Charles Sturt University Graduate Certificate and Masters Specialisation in Data Management

The School of Information Studies at Charles Sturt University offers a Graduate Certificate in Data Management(GCDM). As practicing information professionals or researchers, formal study in Data Management will enable you to demonstrate you can fill an identified professional skill and knowledge gap. Completion of the GCDM qualification provides evidence you have studied the fundamental principles, key concepts, tools, standards, and techniques of data curation and data management.

This Graduate Certificate is offered part time over one year (two subjects per session) and is completely online. This mode provides students with the flexibility to study at a time and place that suits their work and life commitments, with access to a wide range of learning materials, support and communication tools online.

Alternatively, if you are currently undertaking the Master of Information Studies at CSU, you can elect to do the subjects as above to graduate with a Specialisation in Data Management: a Master of Information Studies (Data Management).

How was your 23 (research data) Things adventure?

You don’t have to have done all the 23 Things - this is about your learning, not completing all 23. Whatever number of Things you did is fine.

It’s time to reflect on what you did, what you learned and what you got out of the time you spent doing some or all of the 23 (research data) Things.

Write a reflection on your learning and include it in your PD interview with your supervisor.