The Alliance’s Community-Driven Consultation: Help Shape Trustworthy Data Repository Characteristics for Canada
Session Description
June 24 2026 @ 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
The Digital Research Alliance of Canada (DRAC)’s Data Repositories Expert Group (DREG) has struck a working group to develop guidance to help researchers select data repositories in fulfillment of the Tri-Agency Research Data Management Policy data deposit requirement, anticipated to take effect in early 2027. The working group is conducting a literature review to identify characteristics across technical, operational, and organizational dimensions — including persistent identifiers, preservation, metadata, cybersecurity, data handling ethics, and Indigenous community engagement — with particular attention to Canadian priorities such as data sovereignty, bilingualism, and Tri-Agency alignment. Findings will inform a guidance document and complementary decision-making resources.
Characteristics under consideration span a broad range of repository attributes — from technical and operational features such as persistent identifiers, preservation, metadata standards, cybersecurity, and licensing, to human and organizational dimensions like staff expertise, data handling ethics, and Indigenous community engagement — with particular attention to what trustworthiness means in the Canadian context, including data sovereignty, bilingualism, and alignment with the Tri-Agency RDM Policy.
On Wednesday, June 24 from 1:00–2:30 PM ET, we are hosting a 90-minute community consultation webinar to share preliminary results from our literature review and gather your input on the characteristics identified. You will have the opportunity to review and prioritize characteristics, flag what may be missing, and help us understand how context and discipline shape what matters most. A follow-up survey will also be available for those who prefer to contribute asynchronously or want additional time to reflect.
Your perspective shapes this guidance — whether you work in RDM, library services, repository operations, research, or are affected in any way. Want to stay involved as this work develops? Fill out this recruitment form.