Updates from the Data Stewards

The University of Twente data stewards are actively involved in developing resources and contributing to national collaborations. Below, we highlight two recent initiatives: the development of new research data management resources for students and a recap of the conference From Posts to Insights: Navigating Social Media Data Challenges in Research, which was co-organised by the University of Twente.

Empowering students: New resources for research data management

Bachelor’s and Master’s students conduct research but are often overlooked in research data management (RDM) support. To help fill this gap, data stewards from Leiden University, Radboud University, the University of Groningen, and the University of Twente collaborated to develop practical RDM resources for students across disciplines.

The working group developed:

• an RDM guidebook introducing students to RDM principles and best practices;
• a practical checklist covering tasks before, during, and after research, including an additional checklist for personal or sensitive data;
• and a user guide for lecturers, coordinators, and supervisors on integrating these materials into teaching and student support.

Together, these resources help students build responsible and reliable research practices. Designed for broad use across disciplines and universities, they are valuable for students, supervisors, and educators involved in research and academic skills teaching.

The materials are openly available via Zenodo and can be found here:

• Research Data Management Guidebook for Students & User Guide
• Research Data Management Checklist for Students

The guidebook and checklist have been viewed more than 2,000 times since their launch in December 2025. The working group welcomes feedback, engagement, and examples of how the resources are being used. For questions or suggestions, please contact Alice Nikuze, Minsi Li, or Deniece Nazareth. 

‘From Posts to Insights’ conference recap: Building a community around responsible social media data in research

Researchers, research support staff, and experts in ethics, privacy, and law gathered at the conference ‘From Posts to Insights’: Navigating Social Media Data Challenges in Research, organized by the University of Twente and the University of Groningen with support from Open Science NL last March.

The one-day event focused on the opportunities and challenges of using social media data in academic research. Through keynote presentations, panel discussions, and networking sessions, participants exchanged experiences and discussed topics such as privacy, anonymization, web scraping, secure data storage, and the impact of constantly changing platform policies and regulations on research access to social media data.

A key takeaway from the conference was the importance of addressing ethical, legal, and methodological considerations early in the research process, with support from privacy experts, ethics committees, and research support staff.

The conference also marked the start of a community around responsible social media research. Researchers and support staff interested in joining future activities and discussions can contact Deniece Nazareth, Minsi Li and Zafer Öztürk.