Our NFDI4ING lecture series RDM Basics for Engineers provides a practical introduction to research data management (RDM) in the engineering sciences.
The series focuses on basic concepts, practical examples, and hands-on exercises. Participants will learn how RDM can be integrated into research workflows from the very beginning. It is designed as a low-threshold entry point and can serve as preparation for more advanced formats such as our Summer Schools.
The upcoming RDM Basics will take place online on 12 and 13 October 2026 in cooperation with UA Ruhr. The course was initially organised in the context of UA Ruhr and is now open to participants beyond UA Ruhr. Students, PhD candidates, researchers, and anyone interested in research data management, particularly within the engineering sciences, are welcome to participate.
No prior knowledge of research data management is required.
Each session lasts 90 minutes and combines a lecture part with hands-on exercises. The course will be held in English. Participation is free of charge; however, registration is required in advance. After registration, participants will receive the access details for the online sessions.
Programme
The lecture series consists of four sessions covering key aspects of research data management in engineering:
Part 1: Introduction to Research Data Management in Engineering
12 October, 13:00–14:30 CEST
Motivation, fundamental concepts, engineering-specific challenges, first steps towards implementing RDM in practice, and an introduction to the exercise dataset.
Part 2: Best Practices in Research Data Management
12 October, 15:00–16:30 CEST
Focus on Data Management Plans (DMPs), introduction to RDMO and RDMO NFDI4ING, including a short live demonstration, best practices for handling research data, and a hands-on exercise on writing a DMP.
Part 3: Metadata and Semantics
13 October, 13:00–14:30 CEST
Introduction to metadata in practice, differences between human- and machine-readable metadata, standardisation and interoperability, and a hands-on exercise on adding metadata to the dataset.
Part 4: FAIR Engineering Research Software
13 October, 15:00–16:30 CEST
Application of the FAIR principles to research software, approaches to verification and validation, and a hands-on exercise on creating and managing research software for the dataset.
Registration
Participation is free of charge and registration is open to everyone interested in research data management, particularly within the engineering sciences.
Register here: https://events.hifis.net/event/4472/registrations/4205/
Course Materials
The complete presentation materials for all four sessions are openly available on Zenodo: