Keeping Research Data Safe:
Cost-benefit studies, tools, and methodologies focussing on long-lived data
Welcome to the Keeping Research Data Safe (KRDS) Website
This web site has been set-up to support dissemination of information on the "Keeping Research Data Safe (KRDS)" cost-benefit studies, tools and methodologies that focus on the challenges of assessing costs and benefits of curation and preservation of research data.
Keeping Research Data Safe has been developed in three major phases funded by the Joint Information Systems Committee. The first Keeping Research Data Safe study (KRDS1) completed in 2008 made a major contribution to the study of preservation costs by developing a cost model and identifying cost variables for preserving research data in UK universities. That work has had considerable impact and received international interest. The second Keeping Research Data Safe project (KRDS2) completed in December 2009, built on this previous work and identified and analysed longitudinal data on preservation costs and benefits associated with long-lived data. The final phase has focussed on transfering knowledge from the research into practice through development of a Factsheet, User Guide, and Benefits Analysis Toolkit.
For more recent work that extends KRDS we recommend the Cost-Benefit Advocacy Toolkit produced for CESSDA in 2017. This toolkit is comprised of: Three factsheets - Benefits (KRDS benefits and more recent material), Costs (KRDS costs, 4C ,etc.), and Return on Investment (evidence from impact studies and for “costs of inaction”); Two worksheets - the Archive Development Canvas (a non-profit archive version of the Business Model Canvas), and the Benefits Summary for a Data Archive (an updated social science version of the KRDS Benefits Framework); Four case studies; and a user guide.
KRDS outputs are made freely available to the UK Higher Education, Further Education and Research communities in perpetuity for non-commercial use. Commercial Use is selling KRDS in a product, or using it to provide a service for which you charge. Outputs and synthesis from the projects are provided below.
KRDS Factsheet - (PDF) -version 2 July 2011- This A4 four-page factsheet is intended to be suitable for senior managers and others interested in a concise summary of our key findings. It will be relevant to all repositories and institutions holding digital material but of particular interest to anyone responsible for or involved in the long-term management of research data.
KRDS User Guide (PDF) -version 2 July 2011- The KRDS User Guide is an edited selection and synthesis of the guidance in the KRDS reports combined with newly commissioned text and illustrations. It is intended to act as a concise practical manual for KRDS users. Its creation has been funded through the JISC Managing Research Data Programme and the JISC Digital Preservation Programme.
KRDS Tools
The KRDS activity cost model is available to download in two versions together with a KRDS Benefits Analysis Toolkit (note guidance on the use of the activity models and benefits toolkit is available in the KRDS User Guide):
KRDS Activity Model
- KRDS2 Activity Model "Lite" - a one page overview of the main phases and activities in the model.
- KRDS2 Activity Model "Detailed" - the full model (12 pages) with all definitions and sub-activities listed.
KRDS Benefits Analysis Toolkit
- Toolkit Guide - this leaflet provides an introduction to the Toolkit and its components.
- The KRDS Benefits Framework Tool (Tool 1). Guide to the KRDS Benefits Framework Tool (PDF) KRDS Benefits Framework Worksheet (Microsoft Word 97-2003) (Open Office Text)
- The Value Chain and Benefits Impact Tool (Tool 2). Benefits Impact Worksheet (Microsoft Excel 97-2003) (Open Office Spreadsheet) Value Chain and Benefits Impact Worksheet (Microsoft Excel 97-2003) (Open Office Spreadsheet)
KRDS Reports and Supplementary Materials (PDF and Word files)
- Keeping Research Data Safe (KRDS1) - Final Project Report (2008)
- Keeping Research Data Safe 2 (KRDS2) - Final Project Report (2010)
- Keeping Research Data Safe 2 (KRDS2) Project website - provides access to the costs data survey results and other supplementary materials we have produced.
- I2S2/KRDS Benefits Analysis Tools Project website - provides access to worked examples of completed KRDS Benefits Analysis Toolkit worksheets from Project Partners.
Other Implementations, Research Partnerships and Consultancy - Research data and the needs of different organisations are highly varied. We are continuing to develop the KRDS methodologies and tools as partners in new programmes and research projects in the UK, mainland Europe and North America such as the JISC Data Management Infrastructure Programme, Dryad and I2S2. Charles Beagrie Limited can also provide value-added consultancy to assist organisations in implementing cost/benefit analysis and to tailor KRDS methodologies and tools to their specific requirements. For further information see:
- The Economic Impact Evaluation of the Economic and Social Data Service
- Impact of the Archaeology Data Service
- The Value and Impact of the British Atmospheric Data Centre
- Business Models and Cost Estimation: Dryad Repository Case Study
- Infrastructure for Integration in Structural Sciences (I2S2): Extended Cost Model and Benefits Use Cases
- JISC DMI Programme: Business Models, Cost and Benefit Analyses Support Web Page
- Application of the Benefits Analysis Tools for MRC population health studies
- Research360 University of Bath
- data@bris University of Bristol
- The Charles Beagrie Blog
- Or Contact Us with enquiries for project partnerships or consultancy.