Research Data Management (RDM) Strategy

Algonquin College supports all its research constituents by providing adequate capacity, technological and organizational structure and specialized services. Algonquin College develops innovative, multi-disciplinary research portfolios involving many disciplines across engineering, trades, business and humanities. (Aligned with the Strategic Plan 2022-2025, Goal 1)

At the institutional level, Algonquin College engages in applying data management practices that enhance creativity, good stewardship and ethical use of public funds and research project outcomes. RDM, founded on equity and diversity, is an essential part of research excellence that advances knowledge mobilization and strengthens economic and social impact. (Aligned with the Strategic Plan 2022-2025, Goal 1)

Algonquin College prioritizes collaborative, mutually beneficial research endeavors and relations involving government institutions, the private sector, not-for-profits and community-based organizations. (Aligned with the Strategic Plan 2022-2025, Goals 1 and 2)

Whenever possible, data acquired as a result of research inquiries should be open and widely accessible by other researchers and the public. In the next few years Algonquin College will commit to and will start following the “Fair Principles” of RDM – making data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable. However, the College recognizes that IP rights and protections for our business partners, student researchers and faculty, and the privacy or research participants are considerations that can limit open access in certain situations.

Supporting Algonquin researchers by providing appropriate resources and learning materials is essential in delivering effective RDM services. RDM champions at Algonquin College, such as the Applied Research Office (ARO), the Library and the Research Ethics Board (REB) are instrumental in helping to promote RDM best practices and DMP training throughout the research lifecycle.

Algonquin College recognizes the self-determination of Indigenous peoples and Indigenous rights as specified in “United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples”. The College prioritizes consultation, as well as free, prior and informed consent for any research conducted involving Indigenous peoples and communities. Algonquin College will respect and support the right of Indigenous peoples to control the collection, ownership and use of Indigenous data and traditional knowledge. The College will commit to raising constituents’ awareness of and support the use of the First Nations Principles of OCAP®, the Principles of Ethical Métis Research, Inuit Qaujmajatuqangit, and the CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance. (Aligned with the Strategic Plan 2022-2025, Goal 3)

Starting in 2023, Algonquin will begin building essential RDM capacity. During this initial phase, the College will focus firmly on:

• Developing awareness-raising activities and training:
  • The ARO will post this strategy on their site and will link it to Library’s RDM resource pages.
  • The Library will keep these pages updated with new RDM-oriented training materials and will include a link back to this strategy.
  • The Library will organize periodic training events and an annual RDM workshop.
  • ARO will create professional development (PD) for faculty and staff.
  • ARO and Library staff will be available for consultations and during set office hours.
• Set up support of operations:
  During the initial stage of our transition towards RDM compliance, a reuse of human resources will be the most feasible way to operationalize RDM. Current employees of the Library and the ARO will oversee and operationalize the RDM-related activities during the initial phase of the process.
• Provide support for RDM-specific IT tools and infrastructure:
  Algonquin College will provide researchers access to the specialized data repository Borealis – “The Canadian Dataverse Repository”. The Library and the ARO will share the subscription fees. Researchers will also have access to the Data Management Plan (DMP) Assistant software tool. once this Tri-Agency requirement comes into effect. ARO staff will provide IT admin support, aligned with ITS standards which adhere to IT best practices, and training related to these tools.
• Indigenous research and RDM:
  Algonquin College will consult Indigenous peoples and communities to better understand how to approach best practices for Indigenous research data management, Indigenous data sovereignty and ethical practices of research with Indigenous peoples, communities, and Nations. A guiding document, as well as a template research agreement, will be developed on how to adopt practices for respectful engagement of Indigenous research. This broad category includes research in any field or discipline that is conducted by, grounded in or engaged with First Nations, Inuit and/or Métis peoples, lands, communities, societies or individuals, and their cultures, experiences or knowledge systems, as expressed in their dynamic forms, past and present.
• Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (EDI) and RDM:
  All researchers at Algonquin College are signatories of the NSERC’s “Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Dimensions Charter”. The research community at Algonquin will foster a culture
  committed to this charter’s principles and objectives.
• Ethical aspects of RDM:
  In 2021 the Federal Government’s Panel on Research Ethics published “Guidance on Depositing Existing Data in Public Repositories”. This document elaborates ethical aspects of the Tri-Agency RDM policy. The REB will implement these recommendations in their project application approval process.

During this phase of the policy implementation, The College will continue to flexibly adapt our RDM practices to any new or updated requirement published by the Tri-Agency.

• Training and awareness-raising activities:
  • The Library and the ARO will continue to disseminate and integrate new original or third-party RDM resources.
  • Serving the evolving needs of Algonquin researchers and satisfying the new requirements of each specific Tri-Agency funding program as they emerge.
• The non-stop training process will continue with a new focus:
  • Periodic workshops for all research constituents will be organized by the Library.
  • ARO will make available and regularly update PD resources for faculty and staff. This process will be ongoing.
  • Instructional video series will be posted and recommended as a self-guided PD in RDM.
• IT infrastructure and data governance:
  ITS will provide oversight of RDM data within technology solutions for the RDM initiative. The ARO, ITS and REB will jointly recommend the best approach for acquiring, preserving and reusing sensitive data within project-specific contexts.
• Implement domain- and context-specific RDM practices:
  As an institution, Algonquin College recognizes the fact that distinct research domains have different RDM needs. Algonquin will promote flexible RDM model that is adaptable to, and considers, the specificity of each research domain, e. g. multi-disciplinary projects, human-centric studies, etc.
• Seek new partnership opportunities with Indigenous communities and related support organizations, or institutions of public government, such as the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB). Proactively adapt the institutional RDM practices to the evolving needs of these communities