A community-built field handbook from the ELIXIR Research Data Management Community for the people who help researchers manage their data – data stewards, RDM officers, research librarians, lab data champions, anyone who does the work with or without the title.
Live site: https://elixir-europe.github.io/ds-handbook/ Full intro: see the About page for what this is, who it's for, and the trail metaphor.
Most RDM resources tell researchers how to manage their own data. This one is different – it's about the people side of data stewardship: what stewards actually do day-to-day, how to build the role into an institution, and what's worked elsewhere.
| We do | We don't | |
|---|---|---|
| Audience | Data stewards & adjacent roles | Researchers managing their own data |
| Content | Real-world examples, tips, pitfalls, maturity indicators | Tool registries, standards databases, training catalogues |
| Voice | Practical, plain, opinionated | Policy or legal advice |
If you're a researcher, you want RDMkit. If you're after training, see TeSS,after tools, specific guidance or standards see FAIRsharing, FAIR Cookbook or data management plans in DSW. We link to them where relevant; we don't replace them.
The handbook is organised around three sections, each with its own colour identity:
- 🪶 Signposts – Guidance. Practical step-by-step advice (writing an RDM strategy, building support networks, navigating data protection).
- 🪶 Campfires – Case studies. Real institutional stories: "here's what we did, here's what worked, here's what we'd do differently".
- 🪶 Waypoints – Maturity indicators. A self-assessment framework for benchmarking your institution's RDM maturity.
The handbook is built openly by data stewards (plus a few designers and developers) on a volunteer basis. Every page lists its contributors. To add yours:
- Read How to contribute for the process, conventions, and how to preview your changes (with or without a local setup).
- Skim the Style guide for voice, palette, components.
- File an issue or open a draft PR – feedback is faster on a half-written page than a polished one.
Content under CC-BY 4.0. Site framework under the ELIXIR Toolkit Theme MIT licence.
To cite:
Data Stewardship Handbook. A deliverable from the ELIXIR-funded DATAREX implementation study. URL: https://elixir-europe.org/internal-projects/commissioned-services/datarex
The handbook's visual identity, custom layouts, and Liquid extensions were iterated on in collaboration with Claude Code – Anthropic's CLI for Claude – alongside human design and editorial judgement.