The German Data Forum (RatSWD) is looking forward to deeper cooperation with academic associations
At its 59th meeting on 11./12.03.2021, the German Data Forum (RatSWD) set the framework for deeper cooperation in direct exchange with representatives of academic associations. With a stronger involvement of the academic associations, the German Data Forum (RatSWD) directly brings the perspectives of data users into KonsortSWD.
The German Data Forum (RatSWD) is part of the Consortium for Social, Behavioural, Educational, and Economic Sciences (KonsortSWD) in the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI). In order to better reflect the breadth of the disciplines represented by KonsortSWD and to use existing expertise, the German Data Forum (RatSWD) would like to deepen the involvement of academic associations in the activities that are currently not directly represented by the members of the German Data Forum (RatSWD). For this purpose, an exchange with representatives of these academic associations took place at the 59th meeting of the German Data Forum (RatSWD) on 11./12.03.2021. During the meeting, the new strategic agenda of the German Data Forum (RatSWD) was presented and points of contact for KonsortSWD services were discussed.
The German Data Forum (RatSWD) is already systematically integrating academic associations in KonsortSWD: The members of the German Data Forum (RatSWD) elected by the scientific community reflect, for example, relevant information on the activities of the German Data Forum (RatSWD) back to the academic associations that nominated them. In the sense of an iterative process, conversely, they bring in the perspectives and needs of the academic associations into the activities of the German Data Forum (RatSWD).
The generative dialogue at the 59th meeting of the German Data Forum (RatSWD) showed that many of the focus topics set by the German Data Forum (RatSWD) in its 7th appointment period are also representative of central fields of action in the academic associations. This applies, for example, to research data management, the handling of unstructured data, and to strengthening access to register data. (Strategic Agenda of the German Data Forum (RatSWD). In the future, an exchange of expertise between academic associations and the German Data Forum (RatSWD) on these topics, e.g. via the working groups, will be promoted even more.
There is also an opportunity for active involvement of the academic associations in the individual KonsortSWD task areas and measures. The academic associations can express their interest to be involved in the development of individual measures. Conversely, these measures can obtain target expertise in the academic associations. KonsortSWD also presents its work goals and results at the annual conferences of the academic associations, which provide important inputs for further work.
The exchange also highlighted that a central need of the communities lies in the strengthening of informal channels. The current status of the services of KonsortSWD will therefore be brought to communities in a targeted manner, for example via topic-specific newsletters. This enables the academic associations to identify development potential, to submit suggestions, and to make their own contributions to the creation of the national research data infrastructure.
The German Data Forum (RatSWD) is looking forward to the new momentum that will emerge from the deeper cooperation.
The German Data Forum (RatSWD) advises the federal government and the governments in the federal states on expanding and improving the research data infrastructure for the empirical social, behavioural and economic sciences since 2004. The German Data Forum (RatSWD) is made up of ten elected representatives from the social, behavioural, and economic disciplines who work together with ten representatives from key data producers.
The German Data Forum (RatSWD) is part of the Consortium for Social, Behavioural, Educational, and Economic sciences (KonsortSWD) in the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI). It acts as an institutionalised forum for dialogue between science and data producers, as well as developing recommendations and opinions. It is committed to supporting an infrastructure that enables sciences to have broad, flexible, and secure data access. These data are provided by state, science-based, and private-sector actors. The German Data Forum (RatSWD) has currently accredited 39 research data centres (as of February 2021), and encourages their cooperation.