Roslin Institute

In the role of Data Manager at The Roslin Institute for the past three years, the one thing that has struck me more than anything else is the dedication and commitment to science each of our 70 + PI’s demonstrate. I’m told time and time again that the ‘project’ is merely a stepping stone in providing the ability to deliver their science. In the majority of cases the research continues from one grant to the next and therefore the datasets at any given time are merely snap shots of a lifelong commitment to their research goals. With this in mind, capturing these datasets are all well and good, but as highlighted above these datasets can form the basis of continued research, either as a rolling project or with time lags imposed whilst funding is sought. Using a common scenario of having a two year gap between one project finishing and another starting, I investigated what might have changed and more importantly, although the datasets where captured and sufficiently documented at the time, why other factors should be taken into consideration to truly reflect the authenticity of the science delivered.