Effective Data Stewardship in Higher Education: Skills, Competences, and the Emerging Role of Open Data Stewards

Abstract

The significance of open data in higher education stems from the changing tendencies towards open science, and open research in higher education encourages new ways of making scientific inquiry more transparent, collaborative and accessible. This study focuses on the critical role of open data stewards in this transition, essential for managing and disseminating research data effectively in universities. Further, it highlights the increasing demand for structured training and professional policies for data stewards in academic settings. Building upon this context, the paper investigates the essential skills and competences required for effective data stewardship in higher education institutions by elaborating on a critical literature review, coupled with practical engagement in open data stewardship at universities, provided insights into the roles and responsibilities of data stewards. This approach bridges the theoretical and practical aspects of data stewardship, offering a holistic view of the requirements for effective management and dissemination of data. In response to these identified needs, the paper proposes a structured curriculum for data stewardship, a direct response to the gaps identified in the literature and the practical insights gained from the study. It addresses five competence categories for open data stewards focusing on five critical streams of knowledge required to build a comprehensive understanding for open data managers. By advocating for a structured approach to data stewardship education, this work sets the foundation for improved data management in universities and serves as a critical step towards professionalizing the role of data stewards in higher education. The emphasis on the role of open data stewards is expected to advance data accessibility and sharing practices, fostering increased transparency, collaboration, and innovation in academic research. This approach contributes to the evolution of universities into open ecosystems, where there is free flow of data for global education and research advancement.

Received: 6 January 2025 | Revised: 10 March 2025 | Accepted: 31 March 2025

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest to this work.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support this work are available upon reasonable request to the corresponding author.

Author Contribution Statement

Panos Fitsilis: Conceptualization, Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing, Supervision. Vyron Damasiotis: Methodology, Data curation, Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing. Charalampos Dervenis: Methodology, Data curation, Writing - review & editing. Vasileios Kyriatzis: Methodology, Data curation, Writing - review & editing. Paraskevi Tsoutsa: Methodology, Data curation, Writing - review & editing, Visualization.