Eugene Barsky, UBC Research Data Librarian
Research initiatives at UBC Library strive to enhance student learning, engage with communities and partners across the globe and accelerate UBC research. The role of the research data librarian is to support UBC’s strategic plan by focusing on best practices in data management and preservation of research data. Eugene Barsky works as the research data librarian in a dual role with UBC Library and the VP Research and International office at UBC.
Top Priorities of the Research Data Librarian
Some top priorities within Eugene’s role include:
- Canadian national research data management platform: Partnering with Compute Canada, CARL Portage, and others, this project aims to create a national platform to discover, transfer, reuse and digitally preserve research data for Canadian researchers
- Abacus Dataverse: partnering with Harvard, U of T and others, this collaborative project focuses on library data management software. UBC Dataverse is the second largest after Harvard’s, and presently manages 30,000 data files.
- DMP Assistant – National Data Management Planning (DMPs) software: data stewardship and data management with CARL Portage and schools across Canada.
Supporting Research & Digital Resources
Eugene describes the greatest challenge in his role as negotiating the complexities of sharing results and information within research communities. Storing and sharing digital research data is now critical to scientific progress and economic development. Research data is increasingly being created or translated into digital formats. Digital resources support researchers with new inquiries, theories, methodologies and collaborations. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) are federal granting agencies that support research, research training, knowledge transfer and innovation within Canada. These agencies promote research, knowledge transfer and innovation within Canada. Their collaborative goal is to advance knowledge, avoid research duplication and promote the Canadian accomplishments in research. Learn more about these initiatives.
Outside of office hours, you might find Eugene at the First Nations House of Learning, one of his favourite spots on campus, or reading one of his favourite books like Three Men in a Boat: (To Say Nothing of the Dog) by Jerome K. Jerome.