Workshop on Data Sharing and Meta Data Held at UCC

The Centre for Data Archiving, Analysis and Advocacy (C-DAMAA) in collaboration with the One Ocean Hub Project has organised a day's workshop on " Data Sharing and Meta Data" for Graduate Students of the University of Cape Coast (UCC).

The workshop was aimed at creating a crop of students whose activities could easily fit into the open science initiative.

Participants were drawn from various departments in the University of Cape Coast.

Dr. William Godfred Cantah speaking at the workshop

Taking participants through the topic; "Data Sharing", the Coordinator of the Centre, Dr. William Godfred Cantah, explained that the digital environment was placing data at the centre of research.

According to him, the paradigm of data-intensive scientific discovery was built on three pillars, pointing out data capture, data sharing and data analysis.

"With data becoming a centrepiece of research," he added, "data sharing and re-use is now a crucial element of scientific progress," he continued.

Dr. Cantah stated that data sharing encompassed technologies, practices, legal frameworks and cultural elements that facilitate secure data access for multiple entities without compromising data privacy and integrity.

A participant in the workshop

He noted that a number of research funding agencies and top academic publishing agencies expect researchers to share data used for their study. Dr. Cantah added that data sharing encouraged more connection and collaboration between researchers, which could result in important new findings within the field.

"Sharing your research data to a large extent immunises the researcher from accusations of bad science and fraud," he said.

Dr. Cantah admonished the researchers not to violate ethical guidance, copyright and desist from unverified data.

A  Lecturer of the Department of Comupter Science, Dr. Charles Haruna, who discussed the topic; "Meta Data", recommended maintenance practices such as documentation and regular audits to sustain meta data of researchers.

He called on researchers to capitalise on meta data in the discharge of their research works.

Dr. Charles Haruna

The Head of the Department of Geography and Regional Planning, Prof. Benjamin Kofi Nyarko, in his welcome address, entreated students to always collect accurate data to conduct cutting-edge research.

According to him, many students misinterpret data and information, insisting that "there are differences between data and information."

He urged participants to take the workshop seriously to come out with quality research works.

The workshop was chaired by Prof. Ferdinand Ahiakpor, the Vice-Dean of the School of Economics.

Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC