I am Alparslan Ozturk, and I am the Data Support Specialist from the institutional library at Carleton University, located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. I’ve been working with academic data for almost 2 years. I really couldn’t have imagined how deep the data iceberg descends when I was first exposed to it.

I came across the RDAP scholarship application through IASSIST and was happy to apply to learn more about resilient data services, as it would help me feel better about how I would be doing my work in the discourse that be, and the discourse to come.

I’m a firm believer of mixed-methods research and one of my knowledge gaps came in the form of qualitative data analysis QDA. So, when I read that there was a workshop being conducted on an open source QDA tool ["Teaching Qualitative Data Analysis using Open Data, Standards, and Tools"], I was more than happy to jump on board!

Besides that, I spend quite a lot of time providing general data service, especially administering my institutional data repository, to which I was glad to attend and learn more about RDM and how others have approached handling and teaching it to their respective groups!

From the get-go I was enlightened by the purpose of storytelling in resilient data services. Often in the context of data, storytelling is attributed to visualization data and helping anyone (and everyone) to consume it. But from Thomas Padilla’s opening keynote ["On Service, Services, and Maintaining the Public Interest"], the tone was set as to how it would be approached in an institutional and instructional method, which carried through the rest of the conference.

Some great sessions involved how other institutions were teaching RDM specifically the gamification of it. Be it the (welcome surprise) Kelly Burns and Koushiki Pohit’s discussion of developing an actual video game to teach RDM, or the micro-sessions showcased by Amber Gallant, the approaches are (and were respectively) driven by narrative to help users feel more in engaged in the storytelling embodying RDM.

Additionally, a recurring theme throughout the many fantastic discussions was storytelling inwards to the institution. Where Data Services teams across the conference were collaborating, working for, or realigning their teams in a way that was needed to tell the "RDM story."

One big component I appreciated was the opportunities for socializing and networking with the conference goers, be it through the first-timers session, or just the breakout rooms to discuss hobbies. The conference goers and organizers were so welcoming, friendly, and enthusiastic, it just strengthened my appreciation for the community that much more. 

Overall, I am grateful for the opportunity to have attended RDAP this year due to the scholarship and am looking forward to hearing more from the community in the coming years.

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