Data centres: their use, value and impact

This report provides an analysis of the usage and impact of a number of research data centres, representing a cross-section of research disciplines in the UK.

The study aimed to demonstrate the importance, relevance and benefits of effective sharing and curation of research data for the UK research community. It looked at the long-term usage and impact of data curated by a cross-disciplinary selection of established data centres.

Using quantitative and qualitative approaches, the study gathered evidence on the extent data centres have been useful to the research community. As part of a wider body of work, this evidence will help to build a case for improving data sharing practice in the UK.

The RIN and the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) commissioned Technopolis Ltd to undertake this work.

An evening event to launch the report will take place on Thursday 17 November – further details are available on the event page.

The report is available to download below. If you would like hard copies, please email contact@rin.ac.uk

An earlier version of this report, including the printed copy, contained an error on p.26. In Figure 12, the increase in registered CDS users should be from 2,000 in 2000 to 5,000 in 2009. Our apologies for this error, which has been corrected in the PDF available here.