Jan SlifkaThe Data Steward is an emerging profession that plays a critical role in the management and stewardship of data. While the role varies across organizations, data stewards are united by their focus on ensuring that data is managed effectively, securely, and in line with organizational and regulatory policies. Their responsibilities often bridge the gap between researchers, policymakers, and IT teams, making them central to effective research data management (RDM).
Data stewards take on diverse responsibilities that fall into three main focus areas: Regulations and Policies, Researcher Support, and Infrastructure. These areas reflect the different ways data stewards contribute to effective research data management (RDM).
In the area of regulations and policies, data stewards play a key role in ensuring compliance with institutional guidelines and external regulations. They develop and implement research data management policies that align with organizational goals while promoting best practices. Acting as centralized knowledge hubs, they provide advice on policies, guidelines, and standards, often coordinating other data stewards to maintain consistency across teams.
When it comes to supporting researchers, data stewards are hands-on and collaborative. They work closely with research teams, helping manage data throughout its lifecycle—from collection and organization to publication and long-term preservation. An essential part of their support includes assisting researchers with creating and maintaining data management plans (DMPs), which outline how data will be handled during and after a project. They ensure that data handling is not only efficient but also complies with institutional and regulatory policies.
For infrastructure, data stewards focus on translating the needs of researchers and policy requirements into technological solutions. They design, implement, and maintain IT systems that provide access to data, tools, and software. Their work ensures that researchers have the resources they need to conduct their projects smoothly, while also making sure the infrastructure supports long-term data preservation and accessibility.
While the specific responsibilities of a data steward may differ, their overarching goal is the same: to ensure data is treated as a valuable resource, enabling better research outcomes, compliance, and data longevity. Whether focusing on policy, technology, or hands-on support, data stewards are becoming indispensable in today’s data-driven world.
A data steward brings expertise and structure to your project, ensuring your data is well-managed and future-proof. They enhance data quality, provide clear documentation, and establish policies and processes for effective data handling. With their guidance, your data remains secure and is prepared for reuse, whether for future research or sharing with others. By having a data steward on your team, you can focus on your research, confident that your data is in expert hands.
In FAIR Wizard, data stewards take on the responsibility of preparing everything researchers need for Data Management Planning and beyond. Creating a Data Management Plan can be challenging for researchers, especially if they are unfamiliar with the process.
With FAIR Wizard, researchers don’t need to start documents from scratch. Instead, they are guided through smart questionnaires that ask project-specific questions based on the data steward’s work. These questionnaires rely on Knowledge Models, where data stewards collect and structure the relevant information to guide researchers effectively.
Based on the knowledge model and the researchers’ answers, FAIR Wizard generates DMPs using various document templates. This approach allows researchers to produce DMPs tailored to their funder’s requirements or other specific needs, all using the same set of answers. Data stewards are also responsible for creating and maintaining these templates to handle the diversity of DMP templates.
More technically oriented data stewards can connect FAIR Wizard to other systems within the research organization using its API or various Integrations, enabling better alignment with institutional tools and workflows.
This process is an ongoing effort. Data stewards can use FAIR Wizard’s analytics tools to monitor how researchers interact with the platform, identifying pain points and areas for improvement to continuously refine the experience.
Data stewards are vital for effective research data management, helping researchers navigate challenges like Data Management Planning while ensuring data quality, security, and reusability. Tools like FAIR Wizard enhance their ability to support researchers through intuitive workflows, customizable templates, and integrations. With their expertise and the right tools, data stewards play a key role in advancing open science and maximizing the impact of research data.
