IU Research Data Commons launches new FAQ portal and resource database

The IU Research Data Commons (IURDC) is pleased to announce the launch of a new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) portal and resource catalog, designed to serve as a comprehensive hub for resources and support related to data access and use for researchers. The IURDC FAQs cover a wide range of topics throughout the research lifecycle, including planning research, acquiring data, understanding policies and procedures, storage, computation and analysis, and data sharing and archiving.

The FAQ portal will be continuously updated by IURDC staff, and researchers are encouraged to suggest additional questions to ensure the resource remains relevant and comprehensive over time.

Kosali Simon, Associate Vice Provost for Health Sciences and a faculty member at the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, directs the IURDC. She emphasized that the FAQ and resource database aim to assist IU researchers in navigating the extensive data-related resources available at IU.

“It is our hope that this website and the FAQ will become a bookmarked location for IU faculty, staff, and graduate students engaged in research,” she said. “It’s also important to note that this is just the launch - we hope to keep growing our question and answer sets over time and to build our resources catalog to be truly comprehensive.”

In addition to the FAQ, the IURDC has also begun the process of building a searchable research data resources database that attempts to capture the wide variety of resources available to IU researchers on all campuses in one place. Users will find resources from consulting services to software to trainings & workshops to compliance protocols and more. Users are also encouraged to submit unlisted resources to build the catalog.

In addition to the online resources currently available, the Research Data Commons will begin providing workshops and webinars, introducing researchers to the available resources, as well as featured data sets. To stay up to date with resources, events, and opportunities, join the IU RDC monthly newsletter or visit our events listing.