7. Support and research services

Support and research services are essential to data management, preservation and re-use. Depending on the knowledge and responsibilities of the persons re-using a dataset, either support services alone are provided, or research services are also required.

Support services comprise all activities in which support is being provided for successful data re-use. Support can be provided in various forms, starting with supplying information and ending with assistance with data analysis methods and procedures.

Research services comprise all activities where research work is carried out for the client, ranging from advice on specific research questions in different research stages to a more complete research endeavour providing a detailed analysis of specific research questions. The services are more targeted to the latter. Analysis tools are an integral part of support and research services. The efforts and costs are to be included in the business model for the re-use of the data. These are discussed in chapter 8.