Camilla Philpot Thomsen, Associate Director for Data Operation in the UK Data Service, gives an overview of recent progress and innovations in the Collections Development and Research Data Management teams.
Over the past year, the Collections Development team at the UK Data Archive has continued to make substantial strides in advancing the accessibility, usability, and governance of data assets.
These efforts reflect our commitment to aligning with the UK’s evolving research landscape and meeting the needs of diverse stakeholders. Below are highlights from our recent activities.
Strengthening Partnerships and Expanding Collections
We continue to work in partnership with other organisations to acquire new datasets and we’re making significant progress with a number of new prospective data depositors, which will allow us to expand and enrich our data collections.
Through strategic negotiations and acquisitions we have expanded our collection significantly over the last twelve months, including data from the EVENS – Evidence for Equality National Survey, COVID Social Mobility and Opportunities (COSMO) study, Cancer Research UK Cancer Awareness Measures, HMIP Prisoner Survey, and became the exclusive provider of the NHS England population health survey.
User-Centric Service Enhancements
We have a user-focused approach to service enhancements, and we are ever grateful for the relationships that we’ve built with key depositors that allow us to gather and implement their feedback to shape improvements.
A notable recent enhancement to our services based on key depositor feedback are the updates to our offer and deposit forms for the curated collections.
These changes focus on making the forms easier to understand and improving clarity around the information required for completion. Our goal is to ensure a smoother and more straightforward process for our data depositors.
Our ReShare repository has also been further enhanced by introducing functionality to add organisations as creators and implementing support for Crown Copyright, improving the repository’s usability.
To completement these changes we have further refined our deposit webpages to provide clearer navigation and more intuitive guidance. These improvements include better signposting to relevant information and a refreshed FAQs section, making it easier for depositors to find answers to their questions and access the resources they need.
We have also introduced a refined version of our SecureLab Import Form, developed in collaboration with the User Support and Training team. This updated form provides a smoother experience from start to finish. The new form incorporates helpful instructions, reducing the likelihood of errors or delays.
By addressing common challenges identified through user feedback, this refinement supports researchers in conducting their analyses faster while maintaining the highest standards of data security.
In addition, we have made updates to our Special Licence User Agreement to clarify its terms and remove duplication. These changes are aimed at making the agreement easier to understand and apply.
We have refreshed our Research data handling and security guide, providing guidance for researchers and ensuring best practices in data management and security.
These enhancements are expected to further improve the user experience for both data depositors and secondary researchers.
Supporting Capacity Building in Research Data Management
The Research Data Management (RDM) team delivered a highly successful Autumn Workshop Series, focusing on effective RDM practices including ethical and legal compliance as well as anonymisation and documentation techniques tailored for social science researchers.
The sessions were refined based on participant feedback, incorporating interactive tools like Menti and Padlet and featuring diverse case studies to address varying learning needs. The RDM team also contributed to the development of Rise on-demand training materials, ensuring that training resources are both engaging and accessible.
Additionally, the team lead on the preparation and delivery of tailored training sessions for longitudinal population studies managers as part of an initial PRUK initiative funded by the ESRC and MRC.
Responding to Evolving Needs
In summer 2024, we conducted a survey to evaluate the RDM training needs of ESRC-funded researchers. The survey aimed to identify skill gaps, assess confidence levels in key RDM areas, and guide the development of the 2025 RDM training programme.
With 365 complete responses from a diverse group of researchers, the findings highlight critical areas for support and opportunities to enhance RDM practices across disciplines and roles.
Key challenges emerged across both experienced and less experienced researchers. Ethical and legal compliance, data anonymisation, and data documentation were the most frequently cited issues.
These findings underscore the importance of equipping researchers with both foundational knowledge and practical skills to navigate the complexities of modern data management.
Evaluating the benefits, costs and utility of synthetic data
We have been working closely with data owners to understand perceptions and readiness for the use of synthetic data as part of the “Evaluating the benefits, costs and utility of synthetic data” project funded by ADRUK.
The growing discourse around synthetic data underscores its potential not only in addressing data challenges in a fast-paced changing landscape but for fostering innovation and accelerating advancements in data analytics and artificial intelligence.
From optimising data sharing and utility, to sustaining and promoting reproducibility to mitigating disclosure, synthetic data has emerged as a solution to various complexities of the data ecosystem.
This innovative and exciting project is led by Cristina Magder, the Data Collections Development Manager at the UK Data Service, as Principal Investigator, with Dr. Hina Zahid, Dr. Maureen Haaker, and Dr. J. Kasmire collaborating as co-leads and with Melissa Ogwayo contributing as the project’s dedicated researcher.
Contributing to Policy Development
Policy plays a critical role in shaping how data is managed, shared, and reused across the research community.
Historically, each UKRI research council maintained its own data policy, but efforts are now underway to develop a unified pan-UKRI policy. This initiative aims to streamline guidance, promote consistency, and better meet the needs of researchers and data providers alike.
Our Data Collections Development Manager has provided critical insights for the policy, helping shape its first draft and ensuring alignment with the needs of data users and providers.
Looking Ahead
The Collections Development team, in collaboration with the RDM team, remain committed to fostering innovation and collaboration while ensuring that our data collections and processes are robust, user-friendly and future-ready.
Ongoing and future efforts include refining Data Management Planning (DMP) policies and procedures, contributing to the development of UKRI-wide research data policies and guidance, and establishing further links with key data produces in the UK and beyond.
As we continue to enhance our services and expand our repository, we invite researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders to join us in shaping the future of data access and management. Please contact us via email or visit our webpages for more information.
About the author
Camilla leads the Collections Development and Data Publishing teams at the UK Data Service and has previously worked in Higher Education since 2006, with over 14 years’ experience as a Department Manager within academic departments.
Camilla worked within the Social Sciences Faculty in the Department of Sociology and Criminology for over ten years as a senior leader, working closely with Social Science academics and students.
Camilla has a keen interest in strategic management and innovation with a focus on improving efficiency of systems and processes to enhance user experience.
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