Research Data Horror Stories at 38C3

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class="news-preheader mb-3 wiro-divider"><span class="news-list-date"><time datetime="2025-01-07">01/07/2025<meta itemprop="datePublished" content="2025-01-07" /></time></span><span class="news-list-category" xmlns:f="http://typo3.org/ns/TYPO3/CMS/Fluid/ViewHelpers"><span>Meldung</span><span>Workshop</span></span></div><div class="news-header"><h1 itemprop="headline">Research Data Horror Stories at 38C3</h1></div><div class="row"><div class="col-md-8"><div class="lead" itemprop="description"><p>The Research Data Horror Stories workshop at the 38th Chaos Communication Congress (38C3) was an intense, enlightening, and sometimes chilling experience. </p></div><div class="news-text-wrap my-3" itemprop="articleBody"><p>With a packed room of around 80 participants (despite only 60 chairs), the event highlichted the critical yet often underestimated importance of research data and software management (RDM). </p><p>The discussions revealed a plethora of horror stories from research data management and software development. Here's a recap of this unique session's key moments and learnings:</p><p><strong>Horror Story Highlights:</strong></p><ol><li><p><strong>Data Encryption Nightmare:</strong> A research lab experienced non-consensual electronic lab notebook data encryption. The recovery process spanned four months, leaving scientists with unlabeled data and irretrievable physical experiments.<br><strong>Lesson Learned:</strong> Physical backupsand must be prioritized, and awareness of such risks should be integrated into training programs.</p></li><li><p><strong>Short-Term Projects and Long-Term Losses:</strong> The Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz (German academic contract law) and short-term infrastructure projects led to significant criticism of NFDI and similar initiatives. This legal and systemic setup promotes a transient workforce, leading to lost knowledge and inaccessible data, exposing the unsustainability of current practices.<br><strong>Lesson Learned:</strong> Sustainable funding and long-term perspectives are necessary for effective RDM and RSM.</p></li><li><p><strong>Faulty Software and Unchecked Code:</strong> A mathematician lost nine months of research due to flawed, inadequately reviewed software. Similarly, psychologists encountered issues caused by erroneous R scripts, underscoring the impact of insufficient coding skills.<br><strong>Lesson Learned:</strong> Better testing and coding skills are needed to prevent false code and results.</p></li></ol><hr><p><strong>Brainstorming Solutions - Highlights</strong></p><p>The workshop was not just about lamenting challenges but also brainstorming solutions. Participants presented practical and actionable ideas to tackle systemic problems in research data management and software development. Here are some of the most notable suggestions:</p><ol><li><p><strong>Better Error Culture:</strong> Scientists should normalize admitting mistakes and actively work toward rectifying them. Journals and publishers must allow for minor corrections in papers and software, which will enhance credibility and transparency. </p></li><li><p><strong>Improved Software Documentation:</strong> Documentation needs to be accessible, up-to-date, and comprehensive, especially in situations where urgent problem-solving is required.</p></li><li><p><strong>Incentives for Code-Testing and Reproduction:</strong> Testing and reviewing code and data should become mandatory criteria for publication. </p></li><li><p><strong>Public Funding, Public Code:</strong> Publicly funded research projects must mandate the use of open-source software, fostering collaboration and ensuring long-term sustainability.</p></li><li><p><strong>Interdisciplinary Collaboration:</strong> Encouraging close collaboration between software engineers and researchers in other fields can bridge knowledge gaps and improve both coding practices and research outcomes.</p></li><li><p><strong>Systemic Changes:</strong> Long-term contracts, better working conditions, and fewer but more impactful publications were proposed to strengthen knowledge transfer and promote a healthier academic environment.</p><hr><p> </p></li></ol><p>The horror stories shared provided valuable real-world insights that can directly inform NFDIxCS personas and use cases. By understanding both the human and technical challenges faced by researchers, we can design tools and workflows that truly address their needs.</p><p>Thanks to the volunteers who helped facilitate the session and everyone who contributed their stories and solutions. While the workshop revealed numerous challenges, it also demonstrated the community's creativity, resilience, and commitment to improvement.</p></div></div><div class="col-md-4"><div class="news-img-wrap"><div class="mediaelement mediaelement-image"><img class="img-fluid" alt=""Weniger Leuchtturmprojekte - Mehr Infrastrukturf枚rderung" photo of an art project at 38c3 " src="/fileadmin/_processed_/c/9/csm_WhatsApp_Image_2025-01-03_at_19.18.11_851a788da2.jpeg" width="442" height="249" /><figcaption class="image-caption"> "Weniger Leuchtturmprojekte - Mehr Infrastrukturf枚rderung" photo of an art project at 38c3 </figcaption></div></div></div></div><div class="mt-5"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-secondary" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="history.back()"><i class="icon-chevron-left"></i> back </a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><footer id="page-footer" class="bp-page-footer mt-auto"><section class="section footer-section footer-section-content"><div class="container"><div class="section-row"><div class="section-column footer-section-content-column footer-section-content-column-left"></div><div class="section-column footer-section-content-column footer-section-content-column-middle"></div><div class="section-column footer-section-content-column footer-section-content-column-right"></div></div></div></section><section class="section footer-section footer-section-social"><div class="frame frame-background-dark bg-light mt-5 frame-space-before-none frame-space-after-none"><div class="frame-container container"><div class="frame-inner d-block d-flex align-items-sm-center py-3 py-lg-4"><div class="ml-auto d-block d-sm-flex align-items-sm-center text-right"><div class="footer-sharing"><div id="sharing_menu"><button class="btn btn-light dropdown-toggle" type="button" id="shareMenuButton" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false"><i class="fa fa-share mr-2"></i><span class="hidden-sm-down">Share</span></button><div class="dropdown-menu bg-transparent" aria-labelledby="shareMenuButton"><div data-title="Detail" data-orientation="vertical" data-mail-url="mailto:" data-lang="de" data-url="https://nfdixcs.org/meldung/research-data-horror-stories-at-38c3" data-services="["twitter","xing","linkedin","mail"]" class="shariff"></div></div></div></div><div class="footer-language"><div id="language_menu"><button class="btn btn-light dropdown-toggle" type="button" id="languageMenuButton" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false"><i class="fa fa-globe mr-2"></i><span class="hidden-sm-down">Language</span></button><div class="dropdown-menu bg-light" aria-labelledby="languageMenuButton"><a class="dropdown-item active bg-secondary " href="/meldung/research-data-horror-stories-at-38c3" hreflang="" title="Englisch"><span>Englisch</span></a><a class="dropdown-item bg-dark disabled" href="" hreflang="de-DE" title="Deutsch"><span>Deutsch</span></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></section><section class="container-fluid section footer-section footer-section-meta"><div class="frame frame-background-none frame-space-before-none frame-space-after-none"><div class="frame-container container"><div class="frame-inner d-block d-md-flex justify-content-between align-items-center small wiro-footerContentBottom"><div class="footer-copyright mr-auto"><ul class="copyright-menu d-flex flex-wrap align-items-center"><li class="d-block d-md-inline-block order-1"><a href="https://gi.de" title="GI Startseite"><img src="/typo3conf/ext/gi_base/Resources/Public/Media/GI_White_R.png" alt="Logo der Gesellschaft f眉r Informatik e.V." height="50"></a></li><li class="d-block d-md-inline-block w-100 order-4"><span>漏 2025 Gesellschaft f眉r Informatik e.V.</span></li></ul></div><div class="footer-meta ml-auto"><ul id="meta_menu" class="meta-menu"><li><a href="https://gi.de/impressum" title="Impressum"><span>Impressum</span></a></li><li><a href="https://gi.de/datenschutz" title="Datenschutz"><span>Datenschutz</span></a></li></ul></div></div></div></div></section></footer><a class="scroll-top" title="Scroll to top" href="#top"><span class="scroll-top-icon"></span></a></div> <script id="powermail_conditions_container" data-condition-uri="https://nfdixcs.org/meldung.json"></script> <div class="tx-om-cookie-consent"> <div class="om-cookie-panel" data-omcookie-panel="1"> <h3>Cookie Einstellungen</h3> <div class="cookie-panel__description"> <p>Auf unserer Webseite werden Cookies verwendet. 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Research Data Horror Stories at 38C3 - NFDIxCS