What is research data, and why is it important? What work has the Foundation for Science and Technology, through its FCCN unit, been developing in this area? Find the answers to these and other questions in this article.
“Ensuring access to data is one of the pillars of solid and reproducible scientific research”The phrase is part of a practical guide published by Science Europe, the association of organizations that fund scientific research in Europe. The expression also embodies the spirit of one of the most relevant areas of scientific activity over the last two decades—research data management.
What is research data?
In simple terms, they are the information that results from scientific activity and which, in turn, is necessary for the construction of new knowledge. “The reality of research involves one very real and practical thing: data”, explains the General Secretariat of Education and Science, within the framework of course focused on this topic and published on the NAU platform.
It is thanks to data that scientists and researchers can “identify patterns, trends and uncover facts and realities which are often hidden," adds the same source. Therefore, it is concluded that "the better data is managed, the simpler, more effective, and faster the investigation process and the achievement of results can be," he concludes.
The role of FCCN
In Portugal, the FCCN unit has expertise in defining Open Science policies, participating in national and international working groups that focus, among other topics, on the management of research data.
One such example is the creation of a national forum dedicated to this topic. In 2023, the tenth edition of the event took place at the Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal, on November 14th and 15th, bringing together the community of professionals and researchers involved in activities supporting research data management, with the aim of developing skills, sharing good practices and promoting knowledge on this topic.
Among other milestones, the creation of Polen in February 2022 stands out among FCCN's activities. This project was presented with the objective of “promote Open Science and respond to the needs of the national scientific community with regard to the management of research data”, says Filipa Pereira, project manager.
Polen currently incorporates several services aimed at achieving these objectives, such as a data management plan system, a research data repository service, and a community support and advocacy service.
For all these reasons, “it aims to promote a more open, inclusive and transparent science”, explains, in an interview, the research data manager of the FCCN unit, Filipa Pereira, marking the first year of the project’s existence.
You can learn more about this project here. Learn about FCCN's work in this area at: https://www.fccn.pt/ciencia-aberta/
