Stellenbosch University Library and Information Service is pleased to announce the launch of the Research Data Management (RDM) Adventure Game.

The RDM Adventure Game is a text-based role-playing interactive fiction serious game, based on the data management challenges of a research project. The game takes the form of an online choose-your-own-adventure format in which game players take a simulated research project through the following processes: data management planning, data collection/generation, data organisation, data description and research publication, while encountering data management challenges along the way.

The game was developed as part of a collaboration between the University of Bath Library and Stellenbosch University Library and Information Service between 2017 and 2020 by Alex Ball (University of Bath), Samuel Simango (Stellenbosch University) and Nushrat Khan (University of Bath).

In January 2021, the Wellcome Trust’s Early Career Researchers Advisory Board endorsed the game by including it in the Wellcome Open Research early career researchers pack, recognising it as a useful tool for researchers. Sonya Towers (Grants Adviser at the Wellcome Trust), stated:

“The game is a great, fun way to teach researchers about how to manage their research data, throughout the entire grant life cycle. I really like the way it feels like you are part of an exciting story, where each decision acts as a cog in determining how the story ends.”

Since the game’s launch in December 2020 it has been played by people across 32 countries, and has recently been shortlisted as one of the nominees for the NSTF-South32 Awards for an award under the data for research category.

If you are interested in playing the game, click here. For more information, please contact Samuel Simango at ssimango@sun.ac.za.