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Abstract

In today's increasingly networked research landscape, the development of new communities plays a crucial role in knowledge sharing and collaboration, reflecting aspects such as data quality and standardisation. In our poster, we present our experiences and first results of using the Community Canvas [1] to establish a Data Steward Community in Germany.

The Community Canvas is a strategic tool for visualising and analysing different aspects of a community. A successful application of the Community Canvas for building a Data Steward Community can be observed in Flanders. [2]

Through its use, we were able to systematically identify key elements that contribute to building and strengthening a data steward community in Germany. In addition to shared values and goals, the challenges and needs of members were also identified. The results were gathered from a small group of data stewards during the "Data Stewardship Goes Germany" workshop 2024 in Aachen [3] and the "Data Competence Training - Offers, Quality Assurance and Networking" workshop during the Digital Competences Week in Science [4].

In addition to a results poster summarising the main findings of our analysis - providing both quantitative data and qualitative insights into the dynamics within the Data Steward community - we will also offer an interactive poster. This poster aims to develop an external perspective on the community, while specifically gathering opinions and feedback from researchers and infrastructure staff. This interactive element will give participants the opportunity to share their own experiences and perhaps even become part of the Data Steward Community themselves.

By comparing different perspectives or target groups on building a Data Steward Community, we aim to contribute to the further development of community building while avoiding parallel structures.

Thus, the existing and evolving results are not only relevant for the Data Steward Community, but also provide general insights into how communities can be established and supported in other areas of digital transformation in science. Sharing ideas and strategies is essential for building resilient communities.

[1] https://community-canvas.org/

[2] Oset García, P. (2024, September 17). Building a community of data stewards in Flanders - The FRDN Knowledge Hub's experience with the Community Canvas. Data Stewardship goes Germany 2024 (DSgG 2024), Aachen. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13773134

[3] https://www.dsgg.rwth-aachen.de/cms/~bgnhzs/dsgg/

[4] https://www.volkswagenstiftung.de/de/foerderung/foerderangebot/themenwoche-digitale-kompetenzen-der-wissenschaft-beendet