image: Open data practices in African research institutions will be bolstered thanks to a new online course for librarians to coincide with International Open Access Week (21-27 October 2024).
Credit: Figshare / Digital Science
Open data practices in African research institutions will be bolstered thanks to a new online course for librarians to coincide with International Open Access Week (21-27 October 2024).
The Open Data Management Foundational Course – to be offered entirely free over four weeks by open data experts – is a direct response to calls to strengthen the research data management capacity of librarians in Africa.
The course will be facilitated by AfLIA, the African Library and Information Associations and Institutions, as part of an ongoing collaboration with Figshare – a world-leading provider of institutional repository infrastructure and part of Digital Science – and the Africa PID Alliance, part of the Open Infrastructure Program of the Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa). Course leaders will include experts from Figshare, Digital Science and TCC Africa.
Participants in the four-week Open Data Management Foundational Course will gain an understanding of:
- the importance of open data management in Africa and open data principles – including the FAIR and CARE principles
- best practices in FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) data management – including persistent identifiers (PIDs), policies and plans
- data sovereignty
- open research data infrastructures.
To be delivered online using Moodle, the course will involve online contact with other participants, such as discussion forums and groups, and live Q&A sessions with course presenters. Participants will be issued a Certificate of Excellence on course completion.
Dr Helena Asamoah-Hassan, Executive Director of AfLIA, said: “Management of data is a critical know-how that African librarians need to improve upon in order to support the curation, preservation, accessibility, and ethical handling of research data. We have seen repeated calls from library and information professionals across Africa to help build or strengthen the research data management capacity in our region, and we are pleased to be responding to that call with this new foundational course.”
Ms Joy Owango, Executive Director of Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa ) and Project Lead at the Africa PID Alliance, TCC Africa’s Open Infrastructure program, said: “This new foundational course goes in line with Africa PID Alliance’s Capacity Strengthening and Training Focal Area, whose purpose is to develop a skilled workforce capable of making significant contributions to FAIR scholarly infrastructure, particularly in the area of digital registration management and related services. This training will directly support International Open Access Week’s subtheme, which is ‘Community over Commercialization’. We intend to reinforce the value of the research library community, which provides leadership on open research initiatives and vital support to researchers and their institutions.”
Dr Mark Hahnel, Fighare Founder and Digital Science’s Vice-President of Open Research, said: “The new course builds on a successful full-day workshop run by Figshare and TCC Africa earlier this year in Accra, Ghana, and reinforces the strategic partnership between Figshare and AfLIA to promote open data awareness and participation in Africa.”
Eligibility
Academic and research librarians from the African continent will be eligible to participate in the course. Other library and information professionals, and students interested in gaining knowledge in open research data management, are equally welcome to register their interest.
Registrations of interest – coming soon
A call for registrations of interest in the course will be issued in late August 2024. An online form with further information will be shared by all partners involved in delivering the course.
Interested parties are asked to follow partners’ websites and social media for further information.
About AfLIA
AfLIA is an independent, international, not-for-profit organization which pursues the interests of library and information associations, library and information services, librarians and information workers and the communities they serve in Africa. The continental association works to build communities, develop capacities, advocate for libraries, and create an enabling ecosystem where libraries can be effective. Upholding principles of freedom of access to information, expression, and ideas, AfLIA implements programmes that position libraries as crucial institutions that enhance lives through equitable access to knowledge, information, and innovative services. AfLIA builds the capacity of African librarians to become knowledgeable, skilled, and passionate professionals to lead in opening up access to knowledge and drive quality and inclusive education in the continent at all levels to transform African communities. Learn more at web.aflia.net
About Africa PID Alliance
The Africa PID Alliance mission is to secure the future of African Innovation, Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural Heritage. We are also striving to support scientists and inventors to disseminate and commercialize their research innovations. Digitizing research outputs is a real challenge in Africa. Through the Africa PID Alliance innovative projects, we provide reliable open research infrastructure services which provides access to knowledge and metadata about digital objects closer to the wider communities, including indigenous knowledge and patent metadata, starting from Africa. Africa PID Alliance is part of the Open Infrastructure Program of the Training Centre in Communication (TCC-AFRICA).
About Figshare
Figshare, part of Digital Science, is a provider of repository infrastructure. Our solutions help organizations share, showcase and manage their research outputs in a discoverable, citable, reportable and transparent way. We support organizations in meeting the growing demands for research to become open, freer, FAIRer and more connected. Figshare provides the flexibility and control for you to create research management workflows that work for you. We take care of implementation, updates, security and maintenance – ensuring you can always depend on your repository, leaving you to focus on what really matters; research and its impact on the world.
About Digital Science
Digital Science is an AI-focused technology company providing innovative solutions to complex challenges faced by researchers, universities, funders, industry and publishers. We work in partnership to advance global research for the benefit of society. Through our brands – Altmetric, Dimensions, Figshare, ReadCube, Symplectic, IFI CLAIMS Patent Services, Overleaf, Writefull, OntoChem, Scismic and metaphacts – we believe when we solve problems together, we drive progress for all. Visit www.digital-science.com and follow @digitalsci on X or on LinkedIn.
Media contacts
David Ellis, Press, PR & Social Manager, Digital Science: Mobile +61 447 783 023, d.ellis@digital-science.com
Simon Linacre, Head of Content, Brand & Press, Digital Science: Mobile: +44 7484 381477, s.linacre@digital-science.com
Public Relations Team
Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa)
(Through the School of Biological Sciences Linkage)
Gecaga Institute Bldg.,
Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Nairobi
Email: pr@tcc-africa.org, info@africapidalliance.org
Stanley Boakye-Achampong, AfLIA Communications: afliacomm@aflia.net