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NEASIST is sponsoring RDMLA Symposium 2022!

Please join us for the Research Data Management Librarian Academy (RDMLA) Symposium! The event will be held online and in-person* at the Countway Library of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, on Friday, April 22, 2022, 9:00 a.m. ET to 4:30 p.m. ET. The inaugural theme is “Data and Communities: Intersections of Truth, Silence, Access, and Identity.”

This one-day hybrid program is open to anyone who is interested in learning more about the unexplored gaps and margins in our understanding and use of data, how data is used to define the borders of communities, and the consequences of the ways we define, process, code, and analyze data.

The Symposium is a low-cost, accessible event that will include a keynote speaker, panel presentations, posters, and (socially-distanced) networking activities.

For more information, visit our website: https://rdmlasymposium.github.io/

* Note: The Planning Committee is closely monitoring the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and will comply with (and enforce) all federal, state, local, and institutional mandates. Should the Symposium need to move to a fully virtual platform, the Committee will make that announcement as early as possible.

If you would like to participate in the Symposium, we welcome proposals that discuss the interplay of data and communities. This can include, but is not limited to:

  • What are some of the less-examined consequences of the ways we define and analyze data?
  • Who owns the data generated by/about communities?
  • What are some ways that collection and analysis of data can help give voice to, or silence, different communities?
  • What are the unexplored gaps and margins in our understanding and use of data?
  • How is data used to set boundaries and define the borders of communities?
  • In what ways does the use of data legitimize some viewpoints and delegitimize others?

Presenters are encouraged to critically engage with the inherent power and systems of oppression present in data. Consider how individuals, organizations, programs, and research are dismantling these systems (including but not limited to racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, and classism), exposing gaps and silences in data, and challenging who owns data generated by/about groups and communities.

Types of Proposals

Propose a moderated three-to-four-person panel that will engage in live conversation with each other and with Symposium attendees on a topic relating to the year’s theme. Proposals must include a moderator, proposed panelists, and three example questions that might be discussed. Both in-person and virtual panel proposals will be accepted. If opting to present virtually, please indicate how you will engage both in-person and virtual attendees.

  • Discussion Panel – 45 minutes
    • Propose a moderated three-to-four-person panel that will engage in live conversation with each other and with Symposium attendees on a topic relating to the year’s theme. Proposals must include a moderator, proposed panelists, and three example questions that might be discussed. Both in-person and virtual panel proposals will be accepted. If opting to present virtually, please indicate how you will engage both in-person and virtual attendees.
  • Poster
    • Propose a poster (either research or program-oriented) that will be presented both in-person and virtually. Poster presenters will have the opportunity to chat one-on-one with Symposium attendees during the lunch break, reception, and through the conference platform. Please indicate on your proposal whether the poster will be presented in person or online. 

All submissions will be reviewed via a blind peer review.

Important Dates

  • Proposal submission window: December 1, 2021 through January 31, 2022
  • Decisions sent out by: February 18, 2022
  • Deadline to accept: March 4, 2022

Submit

Submissions require the contact information for all presenters, proposal type, title, and structured abstract (no more than 1000 words). Structured abstracts include Background, Description, and Conclusions. Research submissions should include Objectives, Methods, Results, and Conclusions.

All proposals need to be submitted through the submission form on the Symposium website: https://rdmlasymposium.github.io/cfp/

Questions and comments can be sent to the Symposium Planning Committee at rdmla.help@gmail.com.

Symposium Planning Committee:

Andrew Creamer, Brown University Library

A’Llyn Ettien, Alumni Medical Library, Boston University

Ashley Thomas, Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Danielle Pollock, School of Library and Information Science, Simmons University

Danielle Westmark, McGoogan Health Sciences Library, University of Nebraska Medical Center

Iris Jahng, Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Rebecca Morin, Hirsh Health Sciences Library, Tufts University

Scott Lapinski, Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School