Navigating the Future of Research Data Governance: A Comprehensive Book Review

The recent release of "Navigating Research Data Governance: A Comprehensive Guide for Universities and Research Centers Toward a Data-Driven Institution" has heralded a new era in the realm of data governance within academia. This book, thoughtfully crafted by IDM (Dr. Nasser F BinDhim & Nora A Althumiri), is an essential tool that addresses the significant gap in research data governance, aiming to provide a roadmap for institutions to claim back ownership of their research data.

The initial chapters set the stage by elucidating the current scenario where many universities and research centers, despite possessing invaluable data, fail to assert effective ownership. They paint a picture of missed opportunities, potential legal issues, and lost income due to inadequate data governance. With compelling arguments and well-presented statistics, the book makes a powerful case for why research data governance is vital for modern academic institutions.

A distinguishing feature of "Navigating Research Data Governance" is its emphasis on ISO 37000 principles, which it uses as a cornerstone for structuring an effective data governance framework. As the book illustrates, these principles form a universal foundation for good governance practices, enabling universities and research centers to improve their data governance and quality.

The middle chapters delve deeper into the application of these principles, providing numerous practical examples that further enhance the reader's understanding. The book's unique approach of combining theoretical knowledge with pragmatic insights makes it highly valuable for those interested in implementing research data governance.

One of the standout chapters focuses on commercialization of research data, highlighting the importance of generating return on investment (ROI) from effective data governance. The chapter provides enlightening examples of various commercialization models, emphasizing that successful research data governance must be accompanied by profitable data commercialization. This content drives home the necessity of incorporating data commercialization within organizational strategy, culture, and research objectives.

Another highlight is the 'call to action' chapter, urging universities and research centers to embrace research data governance and recognize their research data as valuable assets. It emphasizes the urgency to shift from the traditional passive stance to a more assertive approach in managing and owning research data.

The final chapters of the book touch upon IDM's revolutionary cloud-based solution, ZDataCloud, which embodies all the research data governance principles covered in the book. This serves as a potent tool for academic institutions to catalyze the implementation process and expedite the benefits derived from effective research data governance.

To sum up, "Navigating Research Data Governance" is a comprehensive, intelligently structured, and highly practical guide that is poised to revolutionize the field of data governance in academia. The book's forward-thinking approach, combined with its clear emphasis on action, makes it a must-read for anyone looking to lead their institution into a data-driven future.

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