Conversations about Research Data and Software Management

Research Data and Software Management has a wide spectrum ranging from ignoring the importance of research artifacts to well-defined, documented, and managed artifacts. The highest goal is adherence to the FAIR Principles [1]. However, large funding initiatives like NFDI or EOSC have demonstrated that constructing a supporting infrastructure for research disciplines still requires substantial effort. Nevertheless, some researchers have opened their research artifacts, perhaps without explicitly labeling them as Research Data and Software Management (RDSM). These are typically enthusiastic individuals who have successfully implemented good enough practices to share their work. Based on the idea of providing students with practical insights alongside abstract concepts of RDSM, interviews with pioneers from various fields were conducted to create inspiring showcases. The 13 participants in these 12 interviews represent diversity in various dimensions: geography (Potsdam, Germany, Europe, Africa, North America) disciplines (informatics, sciences, mathematics, humanities, and art) academic levels (pre-/post-doctoral researchers, team leaders, professors) stakeholders (creators, curators, decision-makers, and policymakers) gender (nearly 50/50 distribution) These interviews revealed the stories behind RDSM in various fields, including Black Holes, Bayesian Methods, Education Technology, Data Archiving, Molecular Data Infrastructure, and Art and Activism. The richness of these results necessitated an appropriate outlet to present them to a broader audience. An uncommon medium is used to publish these RDSM success stories: A Coffee Table Book. This Coffee Table Book [2] presents the interviews about RDSM aesthetically, leaving the opportunity to dive deeper into each topic. It combines reflective narratives with graphic elements, such as stakeholder maps, timelines of key RDM milestones, and infographics derived from real research projects. Additionally, a comprehensive glossary and references to tools, infrastructures, and further reading provide scaffolding for deeper engagement with the topic. The book serves several communicative functions. First, it is a medium for knowledge communication, aiming to translate existing practices into understandable and relatable stories. Second, it acts as a vehicle for cultural change, offering early-career researchers and institutional actors a motivating entry point into complex infrastructures. Third, it underlines that Research Data and Research Software could be used as a central storytelling point. This poster presentation aims not only to present the Coffee Table Book itself but also to discuss possibilities for highlighting the importance of RDSM across the communities. Achieving FAIR research output requires significant efforts, but the benefits extend to multiple research stakeholders. Sometimes, it helps to start discussions by showing that activities already exist and that great improvement in research quality can be achieved with considerable effort. We need to find ways to convince the relevant stakeholders. Sometimes, focusing on specific showcase projects rather than large flagship projects provides a clearer picture of the overall situation. This concept will be used as a presentation tool for the results in NFDIxCS after the first funding phase.