ESRC Future Data Services

Strategic Fellows' papers

This page contains outputs written by the ESRC Future Data Services Strategic Fellows (SFs), Professor Felix Ritchie and Elizabeth Green on the themes of Data Access and Building Capability.

The Papers

  • The context paper provides an extended discussion of key concepts around data access, use and governance., drawing upon the academic and researcher literature, rather than specific evidence raised in FDS.
  • The briefing notes are short explainers of particular topics, to avoid the need for repetition in other papers.
  • The papers are normative think pieces, drawing on literature, experience and evidence gathered in FDS, to suggest specific ways forward. Recommendations for FDS are drawn from these.
  • The reports cover activities carried out by the SFs and reflections on lessons learned, and provisional recommendations for FDS.
  • The practice guides are operational guides intended for use by the data community, developed under the FDS programme.

Authors

Lead author is listed first.

Context paper

FDS Contextual Positioning paper

  • Ref: S1.
  • Content: Overview of concepts relevant to the FDS programme, including theories of data governance, monopolies, innovation, regulation and behaviour change.
  • Authors: FR, CK.

View the Contextual Position paper

Briefing notes

What is the point of a TRE?

  • Ref: BN01.
  • Content: What a Trusted Research Environment is, and why it exists.
  • Author: FR.

View TRE paper

What is minimal data delivery?

  • Ref: BN02.
  • Content: How to understand concepts such as ‘need to know’ when planning data releases.
  • Authors: FR, PJ.

View Data Delivery paper

Researcher-created datasets

  • Ref: BN03.
  • Content: Managing by datasets created by researchers rather than data services.
  • Author: FR.

View Researcher Datasets paper

Orphaned datasets

  • Ref: BN04.
  • Content: Managing datasets where ownership is in limbo.
  • Author: FR.

View Datasets paper

Types of TRE

  • Ref: BN05.
  • Content: A typology of different TREs.
  • Author: FR.

View TRE paper

Data access spectrum

  • Ref: BN06.
  • Content: How the data access spectrum can be used to visualise and clarify design and reviews.
  • Authors: FR.

View Data Access paper

Policy papers

Access forms and process

  • Ref: P1.
  • Content: Designing efficient and effective data access forms.
  • Authors: FR.

View Access Forms paper

Data holder perspectives

  • Ref: P2.
  • Content: How data owners view access requests, and how to make them more efficient for all parties.
  • Authors: FR.

View Data Holder Perspectives paper

Efficient data access operations

  • Ref: P3.
  • Content: How data access procedures can be made efficient by intelligent use of precedence, triaging, accreditation and pre-approved processes.
  • Authors: FR.

Home and remote access

  • Ref: P4.
  • Content: Considerations about remote working.
  • Authors: FR.

View Home Access paper

Research reports

Output checking retreat

  • Ref: R1.
  • Content: Summary report on the Proof-of-Concept workshop on output checking processes.
  • Authors: EG, FR.

View Output Checking paper

Staffing, training and capability stream: Final report

  • Ref: R2.
  • Content: Full report on the Capability streams. Primary data.
  • Authors: EG.

View the Final Report

Practice guide

Guide to output checking processes

  • Ref: G1.
  • Content: Guide to identify choices and good practice for running output checking processes, based on the Proof-of-Concept workshop and follow-up activities.
  • Authors: FR, EG, CK, KA.

View the Guide