Keith Russell, Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC)

Manager of Engagements at the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC), Keith Russell is a long-time active member of RDA, currently co-chair of the FAIR Data Maturity Model Working Group and the Research Data Architectures in Research Institutions Interest Group. In this short interview Keith explains why RDA has been  and continues to be extremely valuable for the Australia research landscape.

What is your role in your organisation?

"I am manager of Engagements at the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC). This involves organising the engagements with research infrastructure and research organisations around Australia around data and digital research challenges."

How does your work relate to data and RDA?

"It is crucial that in Australia we do not reinvent the wheel, but in this global endeavour that is research, tie in and feed in to standards and approaches that are developed worldwide. This will allow Australian researchers to connect their research and collaborate across the globe."

When did you join RDA, and why?

"I first joined RDA while still working in Europe more than five years ago. My involvement has gradually shifted from following the discussions and viewing the outputs to becoming more and more engaged. For my work RDA has become especially more valuable as ANDS and now the ARDC picked up on the FAIR data principles. RDA was a great mechanism to find out what other work was taking place on these principles around the globe and allowed us to align and complement efforts and reuse materials and approaches".

What is your role in RDA?

"I am currently co-chair of two working groups. One is the new FAIR Data Maturity Model Working Group that will have its first face to face meeting at plenary 13 in Philadelphia. The other is the Research Data Architectures in Research Institutions Interest Group. I also follow a number of interest groups and working groups with great interest."

What has your experience with being involved with the RDA been like?

"I have found the RDA to be a wonderful mechanism to bring together experts from around the globe and work towards useful outcomes. Getting to an RDA plenary does make all the difference. It really helps to the people you have been engaging with in person and have longer more broad ranging discussions on what is happening around data challenges in other countries and places."

About Keith

After having worked at Utrecht University, Keith worked at the national level in the Netherlands at SURF around Scholarly communication and research data and coordinating exchange at the European level in Knowledge Exchange. In January 2014 he started work for ANDS as a program manager responsible for engagements with institutions and organisations around Australia. In 2018 he joined ARDC, the national project built on ANDS, Nectar and RDS. The ARDC is connecting research data and eResearch capability and infrastructure around the country, thereby trying to ensure that organisations can make optimum use of national research data services and eResearch tools. Meet his profile and engage with him here.