Metadata training as a foundation for DDI implementation

CLOSER is the interdisciplinary partnership of leading social and biomedical longitudinal population studies (LPS), the UK Data Service and The British Library. One of our areas of focus is training and capacity building. We currently offer free, online educational resources on our Learning Hub on a range of LPS-related topics, including Understanding metadata, which provides a high-level overview of metadata and its importance. For researchers and data managers to recognise the value of the DDI standard, and integrate DDI tools into their workflows, a foundational knowledge and understanding of metadata as a first-class citizen in the use and management of data is required. At CLOSER, we are building on our current online training offer by developing an in-person training course which covers the basics of data, metadata, and the FAIR principles. The course includes several exercises and actionable steps to help participants implement these concepts in their work, providing a solid entry point for DDI training and implementation. In September 2024, we piloted our training course at two conferences: MethodsCon and the CLOSER conference. In this poster we will reflect on these events, highlighting successful elements, sharing user feedback, and describing how these insights will shape our future training offerings.