(8 Feb 2024) On February 8, 2024, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released Version 2.0 of the NIST Research Data Framework (RDaF). The NIST RDaF is a multi-stakeholder, international effort designed to provide organizations with a structured approach to developing a customizable strategy for the management of research data.
Considering the complexity of the research data ecosystem and the challenge it can be to navigate the vast number of stakeholders, funding models, and sustainability plans, the NIST RDaF was developed to help organizations assess and improve their research data management activities. Guided by community-based best practices, the RDaF answers questions such as: How long should data be kept? How should data quality be assessed? How do we measure the value of research data?
The NIST RDaF is a resource for the entire research data community, including both organizations and individuals engaged in research data management in any discipline, community members from industry, universities, government departments and agencies, funders, and scholarly publishers. The framework helps organizations:
- increase research integrity with quality data and improved transparency of the research process;
- reduce costs and maximize efficiency by establishing best practices for data management;
- guide risk management and reduction through assessment of risk positions and roadmaps for improvement;
- and increase scientific discovery and innovation with the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) for better utilization of data.
This is accomplished through provision of:
- a map of the research data management ecosystem, organized by a canonical data lifecycle, into topics and subtopics;
- a dynamic guide for research data stakeholders to understand best practices in research data management and dissemination;
- a resource for understanding costs, benefits, and risks associated with research data management;
- and a consensus document based on inputs and conversations amongst stakeholders in research data.
The announcement in full is here.
