Research data and preservation (RDAP) is an area presently receiving intense focus from information professionals. This issue features extensive coverage of the ASIS&T RDAP Summit 2013 assembled very ably by guest editors, Susan Wells Parham, Elizabeth Rolando and Jennifer Doty. Panel organizers, speakers and attendees discuss the Summit and many aspects of the RDAP challenge. Areas covered include repositories, curation, partnerships, infrastructure, data use and reuse and data citation and metrics.