Data Documentation Initiative Workshops 1/10-12 at UCSD – Sign Up Now
Immediately following ALA Midwinter, the UCSD Libraries will host a two-part workshop on the Data Documentation Initiative (DDI), a community XML standard being deployed internationally for describing, managing, and accessing data sets. The goal of the workshop is to promote good management practices for the University of California’s research data sets.
The first part of the workshop, “An Overview for UC Data Creators and Managers,” will take place on Monday, January 10, 2011, and is intended for UC administrators, managers, and other staff who are, or may become involved in the management of research data for the UC system. The workshop will provide a general overview of DDI and will relate the use of the DDI standard to the data curation life cycle and current best practices. Participants will walk away with a core understanding of the value and application of DDI to data management activities, including data creation, dissemination, and preservation.
The second part of the workshop, “Using DDI to Manage UC’s Data: a Hands-On Workshop,” will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, January 11-12, 2011. This second part is a two-day, hands-on tutorial for using and applying DDI. Under the guidance of the instructors of the workshop and by way of hands-on exercises, participants will become familiar with the technical details of the specification and will learn techniques and tools for working with DDI. Participants will also learn how to incorporate the DDI standard into an organization’s data stewardship processes. Persons participating in the second part of the workshop are required to attend the first part as well, thus making it a three-day event. Due to a limited number of work stations, the three day workshop is limited to three staff from each UC campus who will be directly responsible for UC research data sets under preservation and access control.
Administrators and managers who need to understand the utility of DDI and the role it serves in data curation but who will not be directly responsible for applying DDI to UC data sets should only attend the DDI overview on January 10. If a campus does not claim its reserved spaces in the three-day workshop within the designated RSVP time frame, those spaces may be re-assigned to another campus. Depending on turnout for either workshop, staff at non-UC campuses may be invited to attend the workshops.
The workshop will be taught by Arofan Gregory (Metadata Technology North America – Knoxville, TN) and Wendy L. Thomas (Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota). Knowledge of XML is not a requirement for attending.
Attendance for both parts of the workshop is free.
The workshop is sponsored by the University of California Curation Center (UC3), UC San Diego Libraries, UCLA Library, and UC Merced Library.
RSVP
Those who would like to attend should send their RSVP as soon as poosible, to Katie Spencer (kyspencer@ucsd.edu), Head of the Training Program, UC San Diego Libraries. Any questions about this workshop opportunity should also be directed to Katie Spencer. Registration will be open until the workshops are full.
RSVP responses should include the following:
- name
- title
- email address
- telephone number
- indication whether registering for the 1 day overview or the 3 day workshop
- a subject line that reads “Register me for the Data Documentation Initiative (DDI) workshop”
Directions to UCSD, room location, and transportation details will be provided to you after the receipt of your RSVP.
For participants in need of lodging, a block of rooms have been reserved at the La Jolla Shores Hotel, which is situated close to the UCSD campus near the beach at lovely La Jolla Shores (http://www.ljshoreshotel.com/). Special rates from $149 to $189 have been extended to participants in the DDI workshops.