Supporting research data centres

Accreditation by the RatSWD and CoreTrustSeal certification are key quality features of research data centers (FDZ). Successful accreditation and certification indicate trustworthy handling of data. This is particularly important with regard to the long-term archiving of sensitive data.

Currently, however, many RDC have different workflows, which is associated with little standardized material (e.g., contracts) and few process descriptions. The FAIR principles and the Open Archival Information System (OAIS) can help establish or improve processes for data ingest, data usage, and data management at RDC. The RDC are supported by the provision of reference processes to maintain quality standards. The processes include data usage, data ingest, and to some extent data management within the FDZ. The measure will provide recommendations for harmonizing workflows and best practice templates for data usage and data archiving contracts. Furthermore, we will support FDZ accreditation by the RatSWD and CoreTrustSeal certification. In addition, we offer advice on RDC processes in general. A template for legally reviewed data usage contracts will be made available by the end of 2021.

The measure also coordinates the EcoSoc-IN (https://www.go-fair.org/implementation-networks/overview/ecosoc-in) and is involved in the Ethical, Legal and Social Aspects (ELSA) section.