Addis Ababa University Libraries
in collaboration with Electronic Information for Libraries (EIFL) have
conducted a full day workshop on “Open research data” on 21, July 2015. The
workshop gathered participants Researchers, Librarians, ICT professionals from
Addis Ababa University and Consortium of Ethiopian Academic and research
libraries. Zanele Mathe of
the Cape Peninsula University of Technology Library, and Matthew Buys, the
ORCID Regional Director: Africa & Middle East, both from South
Africa, were among the invited speakers. There were also speakers from AAU
who are all members of Open Knowledge Ethiopia.
In the workshop, a proposal to implement
an open research data project for the AAU was presented. Following the presentation, the participants
discussed the importance of making research data openly available, open
research data policies, and best practices in data sharing. Most of the participants agreed that research
data should be shared with the exception of personal, confidential and sensitive
data. It was also agreed that a new service on research data management (RDM)
should be started at AAU. At the end of the workshop, it was also decided that
a working group shall be formed consisting of representatives from Research
office, Library, ICT office, researchers and research institutes to work on
strategy and policy for RDM service at AAU. Open Knowledge Ethiopia members supported AAU
on organizing the workshop, creating awareness on the importance of open data
and drafting the proposal to implement open data project.
