Open science at UOC
Subject: Multidisciplinary
Neus Milán attends the RDA Iberia workshop on the management of research data
On 4 April, the Towards RDA Iberia workshop was held in Barcelona, an event organized by the Spanish Supercomputing Network (RES), INESCTEC-University of Porto and MareData, a network which the professors Agustí Canals, Alexandre López Borrull and Candela Ollé belong to.
The aim of the workshop was to consider the current state of the production, access and management of research data in Spain and Portugal, within the context of open access science. As defenders of open access, the UOC Library was also present: it was attended by Neus Milán, a research support librarian.
Does the RDA speak “Portuñol” (a hybrid of Portuguese and Spanish)?
The workshop got under way with this question. In fact, the event served as an opportunity to establish a regional branch of the RDA (Research Data Alliance), RDA Iberia. In other words, a network like the European RDA, which connects and creates alliances among the agents involved in the production and management of data (such as universities, research centres, libraries and researchers), but in the region of Spain and Portugal.
This idea arose in order to promote Spanish and Portuguese research in accordance with the standards of the European Union and work together to construct the technical and social infrastructure required to allow open access to research data.
A programme with three key areas
- RDA Iberia present on the political agenda. The presence of various authorities showed the support that exists for the project with representatives from institutions at a European level, the HoU of European Commission infrastructures, Augusto Burgueño; Portugal, the Secretary of State for Science, Technology and Higher Education, Maria Fernanda Rollo; and Spain, the Director General for Research Policy at the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (MINECO), Clara Eugenia García García.
- The challenge of open access to research data. Eight researchers (Spanish and Portuguese) from various spheres of knowledge considered the challenge of the new European Open Science strategy, an environment for the management of research data via ICTs: the problems researchers face in their day-to-day work when managing, depositing and sharing the research data they generate through open access. The European Open Science Cloud (H2020) intends to make these technical resources available to the scientific community.
- Successful cases, as a source of inspiration. National and regional RDA experiences among other European countries (Italy, UK and Austria-Germany) were presented to inspire cooperation between Spain and Portugal.
Neus Milán, research support librarian at the UOC Library, holds a bachelor's degree in Sociology (UAB) and in Information Science (UAB), as well as a master's degree in Accessible Technology for the Information Society (UOC). She has been a research support specialist since 2011.
