Fostering a Platform Agnostic Data Discovery Community: The Data Discovery Collaboration

Background: The Data Discovery Collaboration (DDC), formerly known as the Data Catalog Collaboration Project (DCCP), was rebranded in February 2020 to become a platform agnostic community aiming to support the discovery of data and other research outputs. Restructuring the organization to focus on interoperability between systems, skill and knowledge sharing, and community support, the DDC consists of librarians, developers, and other information professionals who work together to address challenges related to data discovery, including metadata development and standards, software development, data cataloging practices, and advocacy for improving data discovery across the research community.

Description: Through 2020, the DDC worked together to establish a governance structure that would better facilitate collaboration, disperse leadership responsibilities, and move towards a platform-agnostic community as opposed to focusing on one data discovery system. To accomplish this goal, the DDC organized a retreat in February 2020. Two representatives from each member institution were invited to participate in structured discussions that were organized with the help of change management consultants.

The retreat culminated in the creation of a Steering Committee, tasked with realizing the goals set out during the retreat. The Steering Committee met throughout the year and accomplished the following goals: created four Core Groups to address specific needs, developed new membership requirements both for institutional and individual members, and established decision making protocols. Feedback was solicited throughout this process, and the new structure was shared in February 2021.

Conclusion: As members of the DDC embrace the new governance structure, the group plans to measure how the new structure has or has not helped build a supportive and engaged community, including updates made to shared code, changes made to shared metadata schemas, metadata standards investigated and implemented, co-authored publications, co-authored conference presentations, and assistance provided between members to support and advocate for data discovery at local institutions and more broadly. Providing mutual assistance to individuals and institutions as they contend with unique environment and data sharing use cases, the DDC aims to provide the tools and space needed for a welcoming and dynamic community of information professionals interested in improving data discovery.