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Research Data Management at KIT
In 2011, the KIT Library’s Research Services was one of the groups originating from the “Literature Department” of the former Nuclear Reactor Construction and Operation Company. To date, scientists have been offered modern research data management services.
The beginnings were rather modest. Once a week, the Head of the Library came by bike from Heidelberg to the Künstlerhaus that accommodated a small collection of books on Karlsruhe’s Karlstraße. In 1959, the department moved to the premises of the Karlsruhe Reactor Station that was under development at that time. Five years later, building 303 of the then Karlsruhe Nuclear Research Center was ready for the Library to move in. This is where the grand and great-grand children of KIT’s founders are still working today.
Similar to the Russian nesting dolls, the 70th anniversary of the KIT Library on Campus North in 2026 fits perfectly to the big KIT anniversary this year. Current initiatives and services in the area of research data management (RDM) reflect the wish to assure quality and a certain pioneering spirit in the course of times.
Dawn of Digitalization
Following the merger to KIT in 2009, KIT’s libraries on Campuses North and South were given an integrated structure. The Research Services Group on Campus North started to focus on research data – this was the first initiative of this kind at university libraries in Germany.
“The number of employees of the Research Services Group has increased from six to fifteen at present. They all have vast expertise as librarians. Their range of knowledge extends from computer science to social sciences,” says Dr. Claudia Kramer, who heads the Group. “This comprehensive knowledge of scientific processes is important, as the use, processing, storage, supply, and later usability of research data vary depending on the discipline.”
Platforms of Model Character
Already in late 2011 did the Research Services Group participate in the setup of a web-based reference and search system for research data repositories. Meanwhile, re3data has become an internationally known and widely used service. It is operated jointly by the Research Services and IT Services Groups of the KIT Library, the University of Purdue, and partners, such as DataCite, an international RDM consortium.
The Research Services Group was also largely involved in the setup of the forschungsdaten.info platform. Since 2016, researchers have been given information on efficient research data management meeting the standards of the funding partners. After several follow-up projects, this platform currently is the central RDM information platform in the German-speaking area.
Services for KIT Employees
KIT’s researchers also benefit from the setup and establishment of RDM infrastructures. The Research Services Group gives individual advice with respect to RDM. Since 2016, the Group has been part of the Serviceteam RDM@KIT, the other partners being SCC, KIT’s Research Office, the Center for Applied Legal Studies, the Innovation and Relations Management Business Unit, as well as KIT’s Archives.
„Data Ranging from the Molecule to the Material”
Nicole Jung from the Institute for Biological and Chemical Systems on the MoMaF project
“Within the framework of the MoMaF project, the institutes IBCS-FMS and IAM, SCC, the KIT Library, and Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences developed a strategy to digitalize data arising in molecular materials sciences, from their generation to evaluation to reuse. This was rather challenging, as we had to consider dimensions ranging from small molecules to bulk materials. The Research Services Group coordinated the project and organized communication of the results to the community. Moreover, the KIT Library was involved in the certification of the Chemotion Repository.”
"Handling Data on Motor Skills"
Hannah Zimmermann from the Institute of Sports and Sports Science on the MO|RE RDM project
“Under the DFG-funded MO|RE project, we relaunched a repository for research data covering motor skills in sports sciences. Thanks to the cooperation with the Research Services Group, MO|RE data was restarted successfully in 2023. Support by the Research Services Group in particular covered the metadata scheme, data harmonization, and embedding in RADAR4KIT. Now, it is possible to archive, publish, and repeatedly use research data on motor skills in sports.“