Elsevier

Library & Information Science Research

Research data management services in academic research libraries and perceptions of librarians

Under a Creative Commons license

open access

Highlights

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Research data management services (RDS) in academic libraries are explored, along with librarian perceptions.

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North American libraries do not frequently offer RDS, but many are being planned.

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Technical (hands-on) RDS are less common than informational (consulting) RDS.

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Over half of academic libraries do not collaborate with any other RDS provider.

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Many librarians in academic research libraries feel the need for more RDS training.

Abstract

The emergence of data intensive science and the establishment of data management mandates have motivated academic libraries to develop research data services (RDS) for their faculty and students. Here the results of two studies are reported: librarians' RDS practices in U.S. and Canadian academic research libraries, and the RDS-related library policies in those or similar libraries. Results show that RDS are currently not frequently employed in libraries, but many services are in the planning stages. Technical RDS are less common than informational RDS, RDS are performed more often for faculty than for students, and more library directors believe they offer opportunities for staff to develop RDS-related skills than the percentage of librarians who perceive such opportunities to be available. Librarians need opportunities to learn more about these services either on campus or through attendance at workshops and professional conferences.

Carol Tenopir is a chancellor's professor in information sciences, director of research, and director of the Center for Information and Communication Studies at the University of Tennessee College of Communication and Information. She is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and holds the Award of Merit from the American Society of Information Science & Technology. She holds a PhD in library and information sciences from the University of Illinois. Her research has practical implications for libraries, publishers, and scholarly communication.

Robert J. Sandusky is an associate professor and assistant university librarian for information technology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His research addresses issues in scholarly communications; data management and curation; and distributed information practices — the confluence of information, systems, individuals, groups, organizations, standards, and processes. He is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery, the American Library Association, and the American Society of Information Science and Technology.

Suzie Allard is an associate professor and the associate director of the School of Information Sciences at the University of Tennessee. Her research focuses on how scientists and engineers use and communicate information. Her research has been published in journals including PLoS ONE, the Journal of the American Society of Information Science and Technology, and the Journal of eScience Librarianship and she has presented at conferences in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

Ben Birch is a doctoral student and graduate research associate on the National Science Foundation-sponsored DataONE project in the School of Information Sciences at the University of Tennessee. Originally from Georgia, he earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech. Following graduation, he worked as an engineer in the aerospace, shipbuilding, and nuclear power industries. Mr. Birch earned a master's degree in computer science at UT, where he worked as a research assistant in the field of robotic software.

Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc.