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Summary
In the past decade, research data have become widely recognized as a critical national and global resource, and the risks of losing or mismanaging research data can have severe economic and social consequences. The proliferation of artificial intelligence approaches in all fields has created a huge demand for trustworthy research data in both the natural (e.g., chemistry) and social (e.g., economics) sciences. To address these issues, NIST initiated a new, multi-stakeholder project in fall 2019 entitled the Research Data Framework (RDaF). The RDaF will provide the stakeholder community with a structured approach to develop a customizable strategy for the management of research data. The audience for the RDaF is the entire research data community, including all organizations and individuals engaged in any activities concerning research data management, from Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and Chief Data Officers (CDOs) to librarians and researchers.
Version 2.0 of the RDaF Publication
Appendix A: Informative References (zip)
Appendix D: Sample Profiles (excel)
Description
What is the Research Data Framework?
- A map of the research data space: who, what, where, why, when?
- A dynamic guide for the various stakeholders in research data to understand best practices for research data management and dissemination
- A resource for understanding costs, benefits, and risks associated with research data management
- A consensus document based on inputs and conversations amongst the stakeholders in research data
- A tool that may be used to change the research data management culture in an organization
Version 2.0 of the Research Data Framework
The structure of the RDaF follows that of the NIST Cybersecurity and Privacy Frameworks. The foundation of the RDaF consists of six structural elements:
- Research Data Lifecycle Stages organize foundational research data-related activities at their highest level. As depicted in the figure above, a lifecycle approach was selected as the organizing concept of the Framework Core.
- Topics (formerly termed Categories) for the six Lifecycle Stages are closely tied to programmatic needs and activities, as well as other important factors.
- Subtopics (formerly termed Subcategories) further divide the Topics.
- Overarching Themes interweave all lifecycle stages
- Informative References are standards, guidelines, and practices associated with a Subcategory that provide the means to address that topic.
- Profiles allow the RDaF to be tailored to different levels of stakeholders/users from a CEO to an individual researcher. Stakeholder Workshop Presentation for a Generic Job/Role (PDF).
Version 2 of the RDaF is a substantial expansion over Versions 1 and 1.5. Topics and subtopics have been extended and clarified based on community feedback, and overarching themes and sample profiles have been added. All topics and subtopics have explicit definitions, with references. It now stands as the most comprehensive overview of the research data ecosystem in existence.
This research data framework represents nearly four years of development, coordinated by the NIST Office of Data and Informatics. This framework is not a NIST imposition or standard, but rather a resource built with extensive community engagement, including: 3 plenary workshops, 15 topical breakout meetings, community inputs received in response to a Federal Registry Request for Comment, and a community engagement meeting hosted by the National Academy of Sciences.
Recent Developments and Next Steps
Since the publication of RDaF version 2.0 we have been creating and running workshops for institutions interested in implementing the RDaF locally. The team is also refining the RDaF web app and looking into ways of visualizing the framework through network graphs.
How can you or your organization become involved in the RDaF development?
- Contact Robert Hanisch, robert.hanisch@nist.gov or rdaf [at] nist.gov (rdaf[at]nist[dot]gov)
- Organize and host an informational webinar or workshop on the RDaF
- Identify informative references, both existing and under development, that are associated with the Subtopics in the RDaF Framework Core
- Promulgate the RDaF through engagement and outreach activities at relevant technical events and venues
- Publish notices concerning the RDaF in topical newsletters, journals, and social media
- Inform us of any implementation projects within your organization
Presentations
Robert Hanisch's invited presentations on the RDaF (acronyms defined below*)
ACS meeting (3/22/22); OSTP Subcommittee on Open Science (1/27/22); RDaF Materials Science Cohort Opening Plenary Workshop (12/10/21); RDaF University Cohort Opening Plenary Workshop (10/29/21); MaRDA Working Group (6/3/21); RDA (4/21/21); ACS meeting: (4/14/21); AAU/APLU Research Data Summit (3/16/21); ORCID, DataCite (1/25/21); Future of Federally Supported Data Repositories workshop, panel and presentation (1/13-15/21); NIH Bio-Medical Information Council (1/13/21); Argonne National Lab, general symposium (12/17/20); Argonne National Lab, pre-briefing (12/9/20); FAIR Convergence Workshop (12/1/20); CNI Annual Meeting (11/20/20); SSURF, DOE National Labs (11/9/20); STM CHORUS (11/6/20); NASEM/BRDI (10/14/20); NASEM Review Panel for MML/ODI (9/9/20); OSTP Subcommittee on Open Science (3/26/20); OSTP Director Kelvin Droegemeier (3/26/20)
* ACS: American Chemical Society; BRDI: NASEM Board on Research Data and Information; CNI: Coalition for Networked Information; FAIR: Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable; MaRDA: Materials Research Data Alliance; MML: Material Measurement Laboratory (NIST); NASEM: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; ODI: Office of Data and Informatics (MML, NIST); ORCID: Open Researcher and Contributor; OSTP: Office of Science and Technology Policy; RDA: Research Data Alliance; SSURF: Society of Scientific User Research Facilities; STM: International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers
Related Documents and Information
NIST Cybersecurity Framework NIST Privacy Framework
RDaF Steering Committee
| Name | Organization | Sector |
| Bonnie Carroll, Chair | CODATA | International data organization |
| Laura Biven | National Institutes of Health | Government |
| Cate Brinson | Duke University | Academia |
| Martin Halbert | National Science Foundation | Funder, government |
| Hilary Hanahoe | Research Data Alliance | International data organization |
| Heather Joseph | Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition | A non-gov't advocacy organization, libraries |
| Mark Leggott | Digital Research Alliance of Canada | Multi-stakeholder partnership |
| Barend Mons | Leiden University, CODATA, GO-FAIR | International data organization |
| Sarah Nusser | Iowa State University and the University of Virginia | Academia |
| Beth Plale | Indiana University | Academia |
| Anita de Waard | Elsevier | Scholarly publisher, private sector |
| Christopher Erdmann | SciLifeLab Data Center | International data organization |