Source: RDM Team RWTH Aachen University
Looking back at NRW Research Data Day (TdF) on 18 November 2025, we are providing you with a further insight into our “RDM Practice” and “RDM Services” areas. During the event, participants had the opportunity to explore various aspects of research data management (RDM) and connect with other RDM practitioners.
This article provides an overview of the contribution „DALIA – A Platform for the Provision of Teaching and Training Contents in Data Literacy“.
Brief Description of the Initiative
As we navigate an increasingly data-driven world, teaching and training in research data management (RDM) is essential for FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reuseable) data usage and supply. To have the ability to manage and utilize data, education in data literacy should start from the very beginning. Inspired by this importance of data competencies, members of several NFDI (National Research Data Infrastructure) Consortia as well as of the NFDI-Section Training & Education assembled to establish a platform for data literacy. The formed initiative DALIA (DAta LIteracy Alliance) is developing this platform as a user-centered knowledge graph based on semantic web technology. These efforts contribute to DALIA’s paradigm: “Data literacy for all from the very beginning!”
Contribution to Research Data Day
DALIA promotes learning and teaching of data literacy through the curated provision of open teaching and learning content to empower everyone to collect, analyze, critically evaluate and use data in a FAIR way. The knowledge base can only be successful – i.e., accepted – if quality-assessed educational materials are available and if these materials are offered and recommended according to the personal needs of the users.
Source: RDM Team RWTH Aachen University
Therefore, the DALIA platform is designed as a single point of entry, which makes suggestions for materials according to individual needs in a heterogeneous and constantly growing landscape of informational, teaching, and learning materials. The users are individuals from academic and adjacent fields, who have different roles (researchers, teachers, learners), various career and RDM experience levels, and come from different scientific disciplines.
As a result, the knowledge base will assist users with their questions on the usage and provision of FAIR data, refer to teaching and learning materials, and suggest learning paths and best practice documents. Consequently, DALIA acts as a reservoir for data literacy training resources for the NFDI and beyond to establish a data culture in the academic environment.
Reference to the Motto “FAIR Data – FAIR Play: Just a Matter of Line-Up”
Good training leads to success – this applies not only in sports but also in handling data. DALIA lays the foundations to make professional training in data literacy accessible and findable for everyone – while also addressing the individual needs of learners. Just as most professional athletes start training early, data literacy should be taught as early as possible in academic education. Through targeted, individually tailored support, researchers at all career stages can ensure their data is FAIR.
Further Information
If you have any questions about Research Data Day in North Rhine-Westphalia, please contact the organizing team. We look forward to hearing from you!
Responsible for the content of this article is Ute Trautwein-Bruns.
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