NIH Virtual Workshop on Data Metrics

The National Institutes of Health’s Office of Data Science Strategy hosted a virtual workshop on assessing dataset and data resource value and reach on Feb. 19, 2020. 

The goal of this workshop was to discuss core metrics, use cases, and best practices to better understand data usage and impact. The workshop focused on two types of data resources – repositories and knowledgebases – and brought together managers of diverse biomedical data resources to discuss community-supported best practices for data metrics.

NIH-funded data resources (repositories and knowledgebases) use varied approaches to measure use and utility (community value/impact) of the resource itself, and/or the use and utility of specific datasets held by the resource. Data resource managers, funders, and users are interested in understanding the impact and value of data resources and the data they host. This workshop included speakers representing each of these stakeholders to discuss approaches to and values in evaluating research data and its infrastructure.

Some of the questions that participants considered included:

1. What are the long-term positive or negative consequences of having evaluation metrics for research data?
2. Are there existing standards or methodologies for assessing research data value and reach?
3. How might different stakeholders (data resource users, managers, or funders) use data metrics?

NIH Data Science IdeaScale was used to gather input from the community. The agenda and presentations are below, along with recordings of each presentation and panel discussion. A summary of the workshop is also available.