Why Casrai?

Admin Data Networking

David Baker, Executive Director

Research is funded & performed in a complex ‘network-of-networks’

http://acn2013.dei.polimi.it/net.jpg

● Multiple teams● Multiple disciplines● Multiple institutions● Multiple funders● Multiple nations● Multiple repositories● Multiple vendors

Data is the network

● Research Data○ data about the observable world used for research

purposes● Administrative (Admin) Data

○ data about the research itself used for management purposes

● Casrai is focused on admin data

Our data isn’t networking

● Key admin data about people, organizations, projects, funders, equipment, outputs, impacts is stuck or lost - all trapped in thousands of database silos

Data Silo Costs

● Researchers and Teams○ duplication and waste - cannot reuse information

they already have○ lost opportunities - cannot connect themselves into

international peers● Institutions and Funders

○ management blindness - cannot easily measure their processes

○ vicious cycle - inadvertently adding to the burden

Software is complex and has many moving partshttp://www.workforceinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/complexity1.gif

These three parts are where all admin data sharing happens

Forms:manual admin

data ‘inbox’

Reports:manual admin data ‘outbox’

APIs:automated admin data

‘inbox/outbox’

Casrai Innovation: an open blueprint for inbox/outbox contents

dictionary.casrai.org/

Benefits

● Easier data sharing○ across southern African nations○ with non-African research nations

● Better data practices○ ‘data-first’ approach creates better data○ reduced costs of collaboration○ reuse common models

● Better international exposure○ make you researchers discoverable

How your research teams will view Casrai

Casrai Approach

● nonprofit governance balancing centralized protocols with decentralized content development

● stakeholder-driven: institutions, libraries, researchers, publishers, funders, vendors

● technology-neutral: any software can play, no lock-in

Call to Action

● Join Casrai to learn more○ free participation for individuals (info@casrai.org)○ Contribute: bring an African perspective to work in

Europe and North America○ Learn: test those models for application here

● Start a Content Network in Africa○ develop a small network of like-minded

organizations (national or multinational approach)○ start building African profiles

Join us!

casrai.org