Post on 20-Jul-2015
Why Casrai?
Admin Data Networking
David Baker, Executive Director
Research is funded & performed in a complex ‘network-of-networks’
http://acn2013.dei.polimi.it/net.jpg
● Multiple teams● Multiple disciplines● Multiple institutions● Multiple funders● Multiple nations● Multiple repositories● Multiple vendors
Data is the network
● Research Data○ data about the observable world used for research
purposes● Administrative (Admin) Data
○ data about the research itself used for management purposes
● Casrai is focused on admin data
Our data isn’t networking
● Key admin data about people, organizations, projects, funders, equipment, outputs, impacts is stuck or lost - all trapped in thousands of database silos
Data Silo Costs
● Researchers and Teams○ duplication and waste - cannot reuse information
they already have○ lost opportunities - cannot connect themselves into
international peers● Institutions and Funders
○ management blindness - cannot easily measure their processes
○ vicious cycle - inadvertently adding to the burden
Software is complex and has many moving partshttp://www.workforceinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/complexity1.gif
These three parts are where all admin data sharing happens
Forms:manual admin
data ‘inbox’
Reports:manual admin data ‘outbox’
APIs:automated admin data
‘inbox/outbox’
Casrai Innovation: an open blueprint for inbox/outbox contents
dictionary.casrai.org/
Benefits
● Easier data sharing○ across southern African nations○ with non-African research nations
● Better data practices○ ‘data-first’ approach creates better data○ reduced costs of collaboration○ reuse common models
● Better international exposure○ make you researchers discoverable
Casrai Approach
● nonprofit governance balancing centralized protocols with decentralized content development
● stakeholder-driven: institutions, libraries, researchers, publishers, funders, vendors
● technology-neutral: any software can play, no lock-in
Call to Action
● Join Casrai to learn more○ free participation for individuals (info@casrai.org)○ Contribute: bring an African perspective to work in
Europe and North America○ Learn: test those models for application here
● Start a Content Network in Africa○ develop a small network of like-minded
organizations (national or multinational approach)○ start building African profiles
Join us!
casrai.org