Developing career options for Data Stewards: creating personas to facilitate career progression

Join us for a participatory research event exploring the future of data stewardship. 

As the volume and complexity of research data continue to grow, so does the essential role of Data Stewards—professionals who ensure that data is appropriately and securely managed, stored, and documented, and shareable, reusable, and aligned with FAIR principles. Although many roles, including librarians, archivists, Research Software Engineers (RSEs), research managers, technicians, and researchers routinely perform data stewardship activities, the position of “Data Steward” remains under-defined and often under-recognised in many countries. Existing work largely focuses on defining the responsibilities of Data Stewards and the skills and training required to succeed in these roles. However, there is limited attention on establishing clear, sustainable career pathways for Data Stewards. 

The University of Sheffield Data Stewards Network, in collaboration with the University Library’s Office for Open Research and Scholarship, the Research Data Alliance (RDA) Data Steward Career Tracks Working Group, CaSDaR, STEP-UP, and the UCL Office for Open Science and Scholarship is hosting a a participatory research event to address this gap. The event will bring together people currently working in, or closely connected to, data stewardship from across the sector to co-create Data Steward personas and map potential career pathways for these roles. The event will provide evidence to directly inform these groups' work to define the role(s) of Data Stewards, establish skills frameworks, and shape future career pathways.

The session will begin with an introduction to the projects’ objectives, followed by an interactive workshop. 

Target Audience / Prerequisites:

This workshop is suitable for individuals currently working in, or closely connected to, data stewardship—including librarians, archivists, RSEs, research managers, technicians, researchers, and established Data Stewards. It is especially relevant for those interested in shaping or understanding potential career trajectories for Data Stewards and contributing to the development of representative personas. 

Ethics Notice: 

As this workshop involves the collection of data that will be shared as an output, ethical approval has been secured from the University of Southampton. At the event, we will request your consent to participate in the research before the workshop activities begin. 

Sign up:

Register your place to join the event online on Eventbrite.