Spotlight on: Abby Toth
Every other week, the Thematic DCCs and the Data Steward Interest Group (DSIG) put the spotlight on one research data steward working in the Netherlands, to stimulate knowledge exchange and peer-to-peer learning.
What drew you towards the research data management field?
Although there are many rewarding aspects of being a researcher, I knew that continuing in an academic trajectory was not for me. However, I still very much enjoy being in a university setting and I also have a passion for Open Science. Working as a data steward offers me the opportunity to make a positive impact on science, by supporting the transition to a more transparent and participatory way of conducting research (without all the drama and stress of being an academic).
What is an activity/task of your role that you find yourself looking forward to?
There is still a part of me that is a researcher, so I like collecting survey input from colleagues and researchers about challenges to implementing open science practices and then trying to strategically brainstorm about how we can alleviate those barriers. I am also hoping to dedicate more time to reading research articles on these topics (what approaches work, what are the different factors to consider, etc.).
What is something unexpected that you can offer help with, if a colleague reaches out to you?
I like to think that I can provide some comic relief to my colleagues. I think it is easy to get wound up about work-related stress and lose perspective. Although certain things need to be taken seriously , most things are not a matter of life or death. So let's have a laugh.
What do you think your community of research data professionals is missing?
I think it is easy to lose sight of the main goals and have an overarching picture of what we are working towards. A lot of the time it can feel like doing a lot of random different tasks (both individually but also as a team), without a structured bigger picture. This can make it difficult to know what you should and should not spend your time on.
What is a topic you would want to collaborate on with others?
Definitely Open Science. However, I get the impression that a lot of focus goes to raising awareness, when perhaps what we need to focus on is implementing practical solutions and skill-building in order to make the seemingly daunting task of sharing all research output more manageable.
Can you share with us a story from your work that was a highlight for you? (anything from an example of great interdisciplinary collaboration to FAIRifying a very peculiar dataset)
Recently, my colleagues and I worked with a researcher to submit a dataset for the Dutch Data Prize. In the process, I really learnt a lot about making a dataset FAIR and also a little about being a saleswoman. We ended up putting quite a few hours into this, but of course, we also had quite a few laughs in the process.
Get in touch with Abby via the RUG staff's page.
Do you want to read other interviews published in the Spotlight on series? Visit the series' page.
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