Managing Research Data in Big Science. (arXiv:1207.3923v1 [astro-ph.IM])

Managing Research Data in Big Science. (arXiv:1207.3923v1 [astro-ph.IM]):
The project which led to this report was funded by JISC in 2010--2011 as part
of its 'Managing Research Data' programme, to examine the way in which Big
Science data is managed, and produce any recommendations which may be
appropriate.

Big science data is different: it comes in large volumes, and it is shared
and exploited in ways which may differ from other disciplines. This project has
explored these differences using as a case-study Gravitational Wave data
generated by the LSC, and has produced recommendations intended to be useful
variously to JISC, the funding council (STFC) and the LSC community.

In Sect. 1 we define what we mean by 'big science', describe the overall data
culture there, laying stress on how it necessarily or contingently differs from
other disciplines.

In Sect. 2 we discuss the benefits of a formal data-preservation strategy,
and the cases for open data and for well-preserved data that follow from that.
This leads to our recommendations that, in essence, funders should adopt rather
light-touch prescriptions regarding data preservation planning: normal data
management practice, in the areas under study, corresponds to notably good
practice in most other areas, so that the only change we suggest is to make
this planning more formal, which makes it more easily auditable, and more
amenable to constructive criticism.

In Sect. 3 we briefly discuss the LIGO data management plan, and pull
together whatever information is available on the estimation of digital
preservation costs.

The report is informed, throughout, by the OAIS reference model for an open
archive.