The Canadian Data Steward - RDM Podcast

This video provides an essential onboarding guide to navigating the Tri-Agency Research Data Management Policy and its data deposit requirement, which mandates that federally funded researchers archive the digital assets supporting their findings . We’ll demystify the core philosophy that research data should be "as open as possible, as closed as necessary," and walk you through practica...

As Open Science becomes the standard in Canadian universities, how do researchers ethically manage Indigenous data? This video explores the vital intersection of the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and CARE (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, Ethics) data principles, breaking down what researchers need to know about Indigenous data sovereignty. Learn the...

Are your research files a disorganized mess? This video covers the essential best practices for File Naming and Folder Organization, specifically tailored for Canadian researchers navigating the Tri-Agency Research Data Management (RDM) policy. Learn how to future-proof your work by implementing machine-readable file names, semantic versioning, shallow folder hierarchies, and robust documentation...

With the Tri-Agency policy now mandating research data management as a condition for maintaining federal grant funding, choosing the right digital repository is critical to avoiding administrative delays and system failures . This video breaks down Canada's dual-pillar data infrastructure—Borealis and FRDR—helping you match your specific data's "weight class" to the correct platf...

Decades of publicly funded Canadian research are at risk of turning to dust on aging hard drives, prompting the Tri-Agency to implement a strict new data management blueprint to stop this silent drain of knowledge. This episode breaks down the mandatory Data Management Plans and institutional responsibilities required to keep your grant funding secure, while dispelling the myth that researchers ar...

This episode demystifies metadata by explaining how it transforms "mystery jars" of data into independently understandable assets that comply with the 2021 Tri-Agency RDM policy. We break down the four metadata buckets—descriptive, administrative, structural, and provenance—that underpin the FAIR principles and ensure your research is findable and reusable. Finally, we share a practical...

Is your research built to last, or is it gathering digital dust? Let’s be honest... drafting a Data Management Plan (DMP) often feels like checking a box on a never-ending list of administrative chores. But what if we told you that this single document is actually your project’s ultimate insurance policy? In this episode, we move beyond the paperwork to reveal how a DMP acts as a "research superpo...

This episode explores how Canadian researchers can navigate the "data deluge" by adopting the FAIR principles to ensure their work is treated as a "first-class citizen" in the global research landscape. We examine the specific requirements of the Tri-Agency RDM policy , the suite of national tools like Borealis and the DMP Assistant available to help, and the vital ethical nece...

Imagine years of experiments, countless hours of analysis, and groundbreaking discoveries vanishing in an instant due to a spilled coffee or a single hard drive failure. Your research data is likely your most valuable professional asset, yet many labs rely on a "single point of failure."In this episode of The Canadian Data Steward, we explore the cornerstone of modern research data manag...

Think deleting names from a spreadsheet makes your research data safe? This episode debunks that dangerous assumption by exploring the critical, often-misunderstood difference between "de-identified" and truly "anonymized" data. We use real-world examples, like the infamous Netflix data breach, to show how easily participants can be re-identified and why using precise language...

Discover why Research Data Management (RDM) is the ultimate "act of kindness" to your future self and a critical requirement for researchers in the Canadian landscape. This episode dives into the FAIR principles and the essential nuances of Indigenous data sovereignty through the OCAP framework , while highlighting free tools like the DMP Assistant and Borealis that ensure your life'...