Data Stewards Network
Join the Data Stewards Network at the University of ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ
The TUoS Data Stewards Network
At TUoS, we’ve established a network to bring together colleagues and increase the visibility and recognition of data stewards across the University.
Data stewards benefit from an online hub containing a range of materials relevant to the role, as well as regular opportunities to meet with other network members, share good practice, and receive relevant training which can be further disseminated to their project teams as appropriate.
A dedicated communications channel enables network members to informally discuss aspects of their role, benefit from peer support and signposting, share details of training, opportunities and events, and explore possibilities for collaboration.
Network members are also encouraged to share details of their roles and responsibilities, enabling us to map data stewardship activities across the institution and formalise their articulation. In this way, the Network supports the recognition of data stewards’ activities and roles, highlighting their vital contribution to our research communities.
What is data stewardship?
Data stewardship is a broad term that encompasses a range of different activities in the management of research data. These include:
- Research data management planning
- Developing and managing data infrastructure and workflows
- Data wrangling, including data discovery, cleaning, validating, mapping, and mining
- Developing policies, protocols and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) around the management of research data
- Data curation and preservation
- Creating high quality metadata for research datasets
- Preparing data for publication or onward sharing, applying the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) to ensure good practice
- Delivering training around good data management practice
A data steward might be someone involved with managing research data through its entire life cycle, or may only have responsibility for a specific stage of a project. Data stewardship might be a consistent and defining aspect of their role, or an activity they engage in intermittently as required. A useful definition drawn from the Irish Data Stewardship Network, , is that ‘Anyone who interacts with data in a significant way, at any point in the research data lifecycle, is a data steward.’ This will include, but is not restricted to, staff in research, technical, and professional roles.
What is data?
Data can take many formats, and can refer to anything that is created, collected, or gathered during research, including spreadsheets, databases, interviews and transcripts, photos, lab notes, field notes, annotated bibliographies, scans, maps, and more.
Am I a data steward?
While there are some jobs that are comprised of mainly the tasks mentioned above (e.g. Data Librarian, Data Curator, Data Wrangler, Bioinformatician, Data Consultant, Data Specialist), there are many that have stewardship elements as only one part of the role.
If you find that your role includes some (or many!) of the tasks listed above, regardless of whether or not this has been formalised as a part of your job description; if you often find yourself minding the project's research data; or if you’re effectively the ‘data person’ in the team, you can consider yourself a data steward.
Join the Network and visit our online Network Hub
Are you interested in joining the Network? Please use the link below to sign up.
The (TUoS login required) collates useful materials for data stewards, including resources, training opportunities, relevant policy information, and more.
The Network's Launch Event took place in February 2025. The session provided an opportunity for colleagues to learn more about the Network and share thoughts and preferences about the forms of training, support and other activities members would find beneficial. The event also provided an opportunity to meet with colleagues engaged in data steward activities and roles across the University and to hear short talks from a few of these colleagues about their experiences.
You can (University of ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ Google account required).
For details on past and upcoming events, visit the section in the Data Stewards Network Hub.