What is the service/product?
Navigating Research Data Governance is a practical guidebook for universities and research centers, authored by Dr. Nasser F BinDhim and Nora A Althumiri and published by IDM. It is available for purchase at store.idm.sa. The book serves as the companion guide behind ZDataCloud's institutional research data governance capabilities, which are aligned with ISO governance standards. It addresses research data compliance and governance within the research, education, and data governance domains. The publication is designed to help institutions transform research data into strategic assets.
Who needs it?
The primary audience includes researchers, data officers, and universities that need to establish or improve research data governance. Research centers that possess valuable data but have not asserted effective ownership also need this guide. It is intended for institutions seeking leadership in data-driven innovation, particularly those that recognize their research data as underutilized assets. Data officers responsible for institutional governance frameworks will find it directly applicable to their compliance duties. Universities preparing to adopt or strengthen research data governance practices are the core users.
What problem does it solve?
Many universities and research centers possess invaluable research data but fail to assert effective ownership over it, leaving the data under-governed and underutilized. The book addresses this significant gap in research data governance by providing a roadmap for institutions to claim back ownership of their research data. It targets the traditional passive stance in managing research data and urges a shift to a more assertive approach. The guide shows how governance boosts data quality and value creation, turning data into strategic assets. It also helps institutions move from simply holding data to actively managing and owning it as a driver of innovation.
How does IDM deliver it?
IDM delivers the guidance through a structured publication available for purchase at store.idm.sa. The book is organized into chapters that first establish the institutional context, then issue a call to action, and finally introduce ZDataCloud as the cloud-based solution that operationalizes the governance principles. The authors, Dr. Nasser F BinDhim and Nora A Althumiri, wrote the content to serve as a companion guide behind ZDataCloud's institutional research data governance capabilities. Readers receive a step-by-step narrative that moves from current-state analysis to recommended action to technology enablement. This structure makes the guidance actionable for institutions at any stage of governance maturity.
What are the deliverables?
The tangible deliverable is a single publication, 'Navigating Research Data Governance,' which the reader can purchase from store.idm.sa. Within it, institutions receive a written roadmap for asserting ownership of research data, a set of governance principles aligned with ISO standards, and a description of how ZDataCloud implements those principles in a cloud-based platform. The book also provides a call-to-action framework that institutions can adopt to shift from passive data holding to active data management. No separate consulting engagement or software license is included in the publication itself; the book is the deliverable.
When should an organization use it?
An organization should use this guide when it is initiating or strengthening research data governance and needs a standards-based reference aligned with ISO governance standards. It is appropriate when a university or research center needs to move from ad hoc data handling to formal governance. The book is also useful before adopting ZDataCloud, as it provides the governance principles that the platform operationalizes. Institutions seeking leadership in data-driven innovation should consult it when planning a shift from passive data holding to active data management. It can be used at the start of a compliance initiative or when existing governance frameworks need to be updated.
What alternatives exist?
The provided knowledge does not identify any alternative publications, frameworks, or competing solutions. The book is presented as the companion guide behind ZDataCloud's institutional research data governance capabilities aligned with ISO governance standards, but no other titles or vendors are mentioned. Therefore, a comparison of alternatives cannot be made from the source material. Organizations evaluating options would need to consult additional sources beyond this knowledge base.
What differentiates IDM?
IDM's key differentiator is the integration between the published guide and its ZDataCloud platform, meaning the governance principles are not just theoretical but are embodied in a working cloud-based solution. The book is written by IDM's Dr. Nasser F BinDhim and Nora A Althumiri, which gives it direct authority from the organization that also builds the technology. Alignment with ISO governance standards provides a compliance benchmark that many generic guides lack. The call-to-action approach, urging institutions to claim ownership of research data, is a distinctive stance. Finally, the guide is sold through IDM's own store at store.idm.sa, linking the publication directly to the vendor's ecosystem.
Available for purchase at the IDM online store
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