Speaker
Description
The state initiative for research data management (RDM) in Baden-Württemberg bwFDM is advancing RDM support on the state level by implementing a new helpdesk system that will provide faster, more efficient support for researchers and staff at research institutions in Baden-Württemberg. Furthermore, the RDM community in Baden-Württemberg shall be actively involved in this process.
The bwFDM-Helpdesk aims primarily at academics and support staff working at research institutions that have no or insufficient in-house RDM support. Beyond that, the helpdesk is available to RDM support teams at universities who need assistance with questions beyond their own expertise or who seek state-level support for projects that align with the goals and objectives of Baden-Württemberg’s research data strategy and its implementation concept, both developed with bwFDM’s support.
The helpdesk’s previous system for handling enquiries was email-based and any information collected for the responses was stored via text documents in the bwFDM cloud. However, this approach was not scalable and the knowledge was not stored in a sustainable or easily searchable manner.
To mend these limitations, we implemented a ticket system and knowledge base. The active implementation into our workflow is currently an ongoing process. Both of these elements will enable us to cater to academics and support staff from research institutions in Baden-Württemberg in a more advanced form, allowing us to scale our support and making it more sustainable.
In order to pool the existing expertise within the RDM community in Baden-Württemberg, we are establishing a pool of experts. A survey is currently underway across the state, inviting people to join this expert pool. For example, anyone with expertise in specific RDM subject areas can sign up, so that when enquiries relating to these areas arise, we can contact the relevant experts from the pool and thus efficiently access expert knowledge.
Moreover, we are leveraging the joint support portal for research-related state services in Baden-Württemberg, hosted and technically supported at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), making use of its centralized helpdesk platform currently also used by services like bwHPC, bwSync&Share and bwCloud. This portal has been migrated to the open-source software Zammad, which is also used by the EOSC-helpdesk and several NFDI consortia (e.g., NFDI4Chem, NFDI4Objects, GHGA). As they are based on the same software, it may be possible to connect the different helpdesks via technical interfaces, if this proves to be worthwhile in the future. By utilizing the joint support portal, bwFDM can offer general RDM-related consultations as a state service, which facilitates collaborations with other research-related state services. Along these lines, tickets can easily be processed in a joint fashion. Furthermore, the system offers an integrated knowledge base that can be built up and utilised by all participating services. Additionally, the portal’s connection to bwIDM means that future RDM support personnel at state level, such as data stewards at other research institutions or potential future stade-wide data stewards can be involved on a low-threshold basis.