Medical Library Project 96: UMB Data Catalog

Data sharing is essential for expedited translation of research results into knowledge, products and procedures to improve human health.1 The Health Sciences and Human Services Library at the University of Maryland, Baltimore UMB will implement a data catalog to facilitate the discovery of data sets created by UMB 133s. The project will provide an outreach opportunity to increase awareness on campus of the importance of data management, data sharing, and provide 133s with a venue for showcasing their work. Among the elements included in a catalog record are a detailed description of the data set, keyword and authoritative subject headings, access instructions/restrictions, and a link to a local expert within the University. The data catalog will be accessible to 133s on campus and beyond providing an opportunity for interdisciplinary collaboration by facilitating the identification of common research interests. The 125 will also have access to this information. UMB will implement the New York University NYU's data catalog software. The code is freely available through GitHub. Funding will be used to assist in the initial stage of implementing, populating and promoting the data catalog. This will be a proof of concept project documenting the hours and personnel required to implement the software and populate the catalog with an initial set of records. Policy and procedural documents developed based on experience and lessons learned can serve as a reference for other adopting institutions. This prototype will serve as a model that can be adapted by other institutions within the region creating the possibility for regional collaboration. 1 NIH Data Sharing Policy https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing/