Sheehy K1
1Western Sydney University, Kingswood, Australia
Biography:
Karen Sheehy was the Research Data Consultant at Western Sydney University for three years, leading initiatives that enhance the visibility, stewardship, and strategic management of research datasets across the institution. Her work focuses on integrating research information systems, strengthening metadata quality, and improving national and international discoverability of research outputs.
Abstract:
In early 2025, Western Sydney University’s one person Research Data Service initiated a structured outreach program to address low engagement with research data management (RDM) and dataset archiving. Despite strong governance, including a robust RDM policy, the Redbox platform, DOI minting via DataCite, automated harvesting to Research Data Australia (RDA), and the recent implementation of the PURE research management system, researcher participation in data archiving remained limited.
To improve visibility and compliance, a milestone-based outreach model was introduced. Researchers who created new RDM plans were contacted with tailored guidance on maintaining accurate metadata, aligning ethics documentation and updating project timelines. At project completion, researchers were prompted to archive their datasets for long term discovery and stewardship.
A parallel workflow analysed monthly Scopus publications to identify data availability statements. Datasets already archived elsewhere (e.g., Figshare) were indexed in Western’s repository to strengthen researcher profiles. Authors whose publications stated “data available on request” were contacted directly to discuss mediated access, FAIR compliance, DOI assignment and long-term preservation benefits.
This targeted, proactive approach shifted the Library’s RDM service from passive support to an active driver of research visibility. The initiative identified 68 datasets for inclusion which represented nearly 30% of all datasets added in 2025. Combined with PURE enabled discovery, Western’s dataset archiving compliance grew from 5 records in 2022 to 220 in 2025. Increased indexing in RDA and the institutional repository significantly enhanced discoverability, strengthened research profiles and expanded opportunities for collaboration.
This case study demonstrates how personalised, timely outreach can transform engagement, elevate institutional visibility and embed sustainable RDM practices.
