Foundational Beginnings – National Research Infrastructure Roadmap

The Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Research Data Commons (HASS RDC) and IRC – Indigenous Research Capability are programs that were the result of the 2016 National Research Infrastructure Roadmap. The roadmap proposed to offer improvement and increase the impact of HASS and Indigenous research in Australia. As well as provide guidance to the researcher community, bring innovative solutions, and disseminate Data sharing, ethical principles, and mutual collaboration following FAIR and CARE data principles and indigenous data governance protocols.

 In 2021, ARDC co-invested in the HASS RDC and IRC to increase impact in these areas, based on some of the original roadmap recommendations. The program involves four platforms that will expand and improve analysis environments for new research. They are:

1. Developing the Language Data Commons of Australia

2. Trove Researcher Platform for Advanced Research

3. Integrated Research Infrastructure for Social Sciences (IRISS)

4. Improving Indigenous Research Capabilities: An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research Data Commons. 

IRISS was selected to be part of this collaborative program, guided by national and international experts within Indigenous research domains. Improving the capacity of the researcher communities in Australia to access, preserve and circulate quantitative and qualitative data sources, will benefit the HASS RDC & IRC.

Using the best practice of harmonisation techniques; integration workflow between vocabularies; survey tools, and data repository.  As a result, we aim to minimise the challenges of access to research by indigenous communities, and to expand their resources. To support this, the IRISS project partners have identified four key services (see below):

  • VASSSAL – an integrated vocabulary and metadata service for the social sciences

  • SPIRE – a survey data design, collection and data management service, and

  • CARDSS – a research data curation service

  • GeoSocial – a service for the integration of spatial aggregate data with individual unit record data.

IRISS Phase One – Building the Foundations

IRISS and HASS RDC & IRC have more in common than just the focus on promoting technological improvement. It is also about the collaborative spirit, sharing visions, connecting people within different domains, as well as creating capabilities for outstanding achievements. They also share the same foundational beginning within the 2016 National Research Infrastructure Roadmap.

Image credit: Roadmaps through time Angus Veitch cc by-nc 2.0