Hard questions for soft skills: Carpentries community collaboration in Aotearoa & Australia
In July 2023 we celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the first Software Carpentry workshop. Researchers from across The Carpentries community reflected on how their scientific practices and trainer expertise have benefited from engaging with peers from around the world.
What started out as “gapfiller” for technical skill development has evolved to represent best practice in open research methods, pedagogical practice and community development. (OEDC, 2020) But how do we evaluate our community efforts? A skilled research workforce relies on our ability to build capacity in data and computational skills for conducting efficient, open, and reproducible research. Capacity is strengthened by the extent to which soft skills are applied in community development (Williams et al, 2023).
The Carpentries strategy for teaching openly licenced curricula grounded in evidence-based train-the-trainer program and community development has many benefits for both Aotearoa (New Zealand) and Australian research communities. Importantly, our countries are close and different enough to make comparison and collaboration fruitful endeavours. Initiated in 2023 by NeSI and ARDC, the AU-NZ Carpentries community calls have brought to the surface many shared challenges, providing opportunities for skill sharing and problem solving.
Successful community development requires candid evaluation of setbacks and opportunities, and an open dialogue with community members. Foregrounded by feedback from our researcher communities, this BoF will review community development efforts and strategic partnerships across the eResearch sector undertaken in both countries.
This Birds of a Feather session invites delegates to share experience with community evaluation. An adapted engagement model will follow, reflecting on evaluative practices for community development. BoF participants will discuss which skill development and community strategies resonate. Recommendations for new opportunities and target communities will be sought.
Synthesis of the BoF discussions and recommendations will inform strategic development and future efforts to nourish the Trans-Tasman Carpentries community. We seek to strengthen our networks by asking the hard questions of how and why we foster community.
References:
OECD (2020), "Building digital workforce capacity and skills for data-intensive science", OECD Science, Technology and Industry Policy Papers, No. 90, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/e08aa3bb-en Williams, J. J., Tractenberg, R. E., Batut, B., Becker, E. A., Brown, A. M., Burke, M. L., ... & Woodley, L. (2023). Optimizing Short-format Training: an International Consensus on Effective, Inclusive, and Career-spanning Professional Development in the Life Sciences and Beyond. bioRxiv, 2023-03.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Dr Nisha Ghatak is a Research Communities Advisor - Training Lead at NeSI. She facilitates skill development efforts nationally and supports training communities through her role as a community coordinator for The Carpentries in Aotearoa New Zealand. Nisha also serves as a community elected Executive Council member for The Carpentries.
Liz Stokes is a Skills Development Lead in Trainer Communities for the Skilled Workforce & Development Team at the Australian Research Data Commons. Liz is a keen advocate for social infrastructure and facilitating learner communities. They coordinate the ARDC Carpentries Partnership and are active in the global Carpentries community. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2973-5647
For more information about eResearch NZ / eRangahau Aotearoa, visit:
https://eresearchnz.co.nz/
