The IASSIST (International Association for Social Science Information Service and Technology) annual conference is always a highlight of our year. This year’s conference on 3-6 June in Bristol was a special one as IASSIST was celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Speakers from the UK Data Service showcased our expertise and delivered sessions across the four days. We were also delighted to sponsor the event, which was dedicated to “bridging oceans, harbouring data & anchoring the future”.
Experts on data
Speakers from the UK Data Service took part in no fewer than 20 sessions. These included presentations on the collaborative nature of the European Language Social Science Thesaurus (ELSST), the UK Data Service Data Skills Framework, our data-driven approach to service improvement, synthetic data’s role in shaping research and governance, and many more.
A highlight was the plenary session led by our Director, Steve McEachern, on 5 June, which outlined the UK Data Service “Theory of Change”. The speech detailed how the UK Data Service supports data preservation and curation, which in turn supports data access and research that improves outcomes for society and individuals. There were also important presentations on the training opportunities we provide, underlining the key role the UK Data Service plays in supporting the wider data community.
An inspiring conference
The event featured a diverse mix of talks and workshops led by data experts from across the world. Some of the key themes covered were the use of generative AI, responsible innovation, data citation practices, and synthetic data. These are all issues that are expected to have a major influence on the data landscape of the future. There was a remarkable breadth of insight from speakers that made for a truly inspiring conference.
Camilla Philpot Thomsen, our Associate Director for Data Operations, said, “The conference atmosphere was really friendly and inviting and it was so good to catch up, in person, with colleagues not just from across the UK Data Service but also with collaborators from the CESSDA network. By the end of it all, I was certainly ready to have a rest, but it felt very worthwhile and I shall be following up with a number of speakers whose talks inspired and interested me greatly.”