Ms Melanie Dixon1, Erin Elstermann1, Jane Gibberd1, Mr John Brown1, Dr Fatima Naim1
1Curtin University, Bentley, Australia
Biography:
Melanie is the Extension Coordinator for the DataHarvest Project, in this role she collaborates with researchers in the Australian grains industry to improve their research data management skills and practices.
She holds a Master of Data Science and is deeply committed to supporting the agricultural industry by promoting best-practice research data management, ensuring that the data generated, along with the time and effort invested in it, delivers maximum value.
Abstract:
As global research data grows in complexity and volume, effective data management, access, and reuse have become increasingly critical. The FAIR principles offer a framework for improving data stewardship. While their adoption grows globally, research organisations in the Australian grains industry continue facing barriers to consistent and effective implementation. Time constraints, competing priorities, lack of specialised training often prevent these organisations from realising the long-term benefits of research data management (RDM). Inconsistent understanding and interpretation of FAIR also contribute to fragmented implementation across the sector. To address these challenges, the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) invested in DataHarvest, a project designed to strengthen the capacity and capability of its research partners to apply FAIR principles. The project delivers tailored training materials in face-to-face and online formats to equip researchers with practical skills and the confidence to apply FAIR in their work. The workshops are structured around the GRDC Research Development & Extension (RD&E) Data Management Guidelines and informed by the Diffusion of Innovation theory, acknowledging that individuals adopt new practices at different rates. I present our approach to workshop delivery, which will focus on practical skills such as developing data management plans, creating rich metadata and using repositories. Post-workshop, participants receive ongoing, on-demand support to help apply their learning in practice. I will also present post-training evaluations, which demonstrated significant increases in participants’ confidence across key RDM areas. While challenges such as limited time remain a constraint, our approach has proven effective in making FAIR implementation more achievable.