Project Mapping Variables Introduction

Acknowledgements I appreciate the critical reading of the abstract and poster by Sandy De Groote, Carmen Caswell, and Abigail Goben.

How data management issues manifest:

Using concept mapping to discover the information network in a laboratory environment Tina Griffin

University of Illinois at Chicago

Library of the Health Sciences

• Current data management instruction and practices focus at an individual or project level.

• These approaches fail to consider the collaborative nature of laboratory research work, as well as, supporting documentation management needs (e.g. inventory control).

• In a laboratory environment, research work seldom exists in an isolated context. Multiple projects in different stages are progressing simultaneously, by individuals with various levels of data management experience.

• However, their workflows and outputs may converge and diverge in many ways, affecting their individual data management activities.

• By mapping the information workflow as a laboratory group instead of as an individual or project, these convergences/divergences can elucidate complex data management needs.

1. Pre-questionnaire to determine which data aspects to cover and obtain demographics of the group

2. Presentation/workshop data management principles at lab meeting or some group event

3. Accompanying worksheet prompts questions regarding specifics to their work, to be filled out simultaneously with presentation/ workshop

4. Moderate discussion as the group reveals their answers to worksheet post-presentation

5. Map the results

6. Identify themes or common pathways

7. Determine data management need(s)

Approach

Person

Project

Workflow

Habits

Data Mgmt Need

Output • Develop strategies for data management implementation that address:

Volume Issues Decision Fatigue Staff Buy-in Training

• Mapping laboratory workflow can identify complicating factors affecting data management implementation.

• Once mapped, strategies can be developed to account for the whole workflow, easing adoption.

Future directions

Sample Worksheet

Summary

Habit

Project Output

Person

Workflow

NEED

Effective laboratory data management addresses intersecting workflows from diverse projects in different stages.