In March 2025, the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute Library offered researchers a new service called Data Steward (https://www.library.kpi.ua/open-science/styuard-danyh/). Its implementation became possible due to the participation of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute in the Open4UA project of the ERASMUS-EDU-2023-CBHE programme.
What are the benefits of this service for researchers?
‘Data Steward will help:
- save time through effective methods of scientific data management;
- prepare a research data management plan in accordance with the requirements of grantors;
- improve collaboration with other researchers;
- ensure reliable long-term storage and access to data.
How did it all start?
In March 2024, researchers from Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, as part of a delegation from Ukraine, visited Delft University of Technology (Netherlands) as part of the Open4UA project, which has valuable experience in working with scientific data. There, researchers are supported by a team of data stewards: they help to draw up data management plans, find existing datasets, and disseminate primary research data
The coordinator of this team works in the university library, and at the faculty level, researchers are supported by specialists who are well versed in the specifics of data management in their fields. That's when the idea to introduce a similar service for Ukrainian researchers came up.
Who are data stewards?
Data stewards are professionals who provide information support to researchers at all stages of the data lifecycle. They advise researchers on various issues related to open science and research data management, help to comply with the institution's open science and data management policies, conduct educational events, and develop information materials.
At the library level, these specialists focus on metadata, open data repositories, and the preservation and dissemination of research data. Data stewards help to create research data management plans (DMPs), teach how to use institutional and international data repositories, etc.
At the level of faculties or institutes, stewards work with research data within specific scientific fields, adapting general principles to their specifics. For example, in the natural sciences, the focus is on modelling data formats used for simulation and experimental research, and in the social sciences, the focus is on ethics and anonymisation of personal data.
What are the main functions of data stewards?
Developing and implementing policies. Data stewards are involved in the development and implementation of policies for the proper management of research data, for example, in accordance with FAIR principles, and ensure that research data comply with regulations, standards, and institutional values.
Documentation and metadata. Specialists ensure that metadata is prepared in accordance with generally accepted standards (Dublin Core, DataCite, ISO 19115, etc.), maintain vocabularies for organising data, and help to use identifiers (DOI, ORCID, ROR) to improve citation and data accessibility.
Data access management. Help to ensure the required levels of access to data, in accordance with the research data management plan, in compliance with security and ethical rules. Coordinate data exchange processes and compliance with licensing rules (Creative Commons, Open Data Licences, etc.), interact with researchers to provide access to data and reuse it.
Interaction with researchers. Stewards advise on best practices in data management, assist in the preparation of research data management plans (DMPs), conduct trainings, and promote open science and open access.
Integration and interoperability. Ensure data compatibility between systems (CRIS, repositories), implement API standards and protocols (OAI-PMH, REST, JSON, XML).
Analytics and monitoring. We monitor the use of data, analyse the quality, impact, and key performance indicators (KPIs) of data-related research activities.
What is the value of the service for the academic community of Ukraine?
The Data Steward service is the first systematic attempt in Ukraine to implement support for researchers in the field of scientific data management at the institutional level. The service:
- promotes the dissemination of European approaches in Ukrainian practice;
- improves the quality of research and the credibility of the results;
- creates a new research culture where data is not just an appendix to an article, but a full-fledged result of scientific activity.
The KPI Library is ready to share its experience, materials, and ideas so that other institutions can benefit from such support.
Within the framework of the project, Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute has already developed and presented a number of webinars covering various aspects of research data management
Open4UA – together we form a high-quality, open and sustainable research ecosystem in Ukraine!
