Research Data Management as a “wicked problem”

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the usefulness of the concept to thinking about Research Data Management (RDM). The concept of “wicked problems” seeks to differentiate very complex, intractable challenges from tamer issues where approaches to problem solving are well-understood. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on and co-authored by a collaboration of practitioners from libraries, information technology and research administration, with facilitators from the Sheffield Information School. Participants worked together in two-day-long workshops to understand the wicked problem concept and advice on leadership in wicked problem contexts. Findings – Participants concurred that RDM had many features of a wicked problem and most of Grint’s advice on leadership for wicked problems also resonated. Some elements of the issue were simple; participants were optimistic about improving the situation over time. Participants were resistant to the more negative or fatalistic connotations of the phrase “wicked problem”. Viewing RDM as a wicked problem is an interesting way of looking at it as a challenge for support professionals. Practical implications – The notion of a wicked problem is a generative concept that can be usefully added to professional vocabulary. Originality/value – The paper captures an in-depth response from practitioners to the notion of wicked problems as a lens for examining RDM.

Developing collaborative best practices for digital humanities data collection: A case study

“…Humanities research data management is, as Awre et al (2015) point out, an example of Rittel and Webber's (1973) 'wicked problem', that is, a problem that is seen differently to different stakeholders. As opposed to a 'tame problem', where there exists one answer to each problem, for example, "How do I execute a search strategy on the library catalogue", a wicked problem has multiple solutions that are neither true nor false, just a good solution or a bad solution.…”

Research Data Services in European Academic Research Libraries

“…These factors include the understanding that such problems are unique; there is no "stopping rule" or criteria to determine whether the problem has been solved; and there is neither a definitive formulation of the problem itself nor a definitive list of possible solutions, meaning that various stakeholders may have different views on each of these. The problem of research data management has been characterized as a "wicked" one, due to the sheer scale and complexity of both data and data management activities, the number of stakeholders, heterogeneity of data types to be managed, and lack of clarity on appropriate roles for stakeholders, including libraries, as well as what support services to offer (Awre et al, 2015;Cox, Pinfield, & Smith, 2016).…”

Preferred but not Required: Examining Research Data Management Roles in Health Science Librarian Positions

“…Additionally, health science librarians often struggle with how to be seen and respected not as support staff, but as collaborators and partners with health professionals. Research data management practices are sometimes seen as "administrative" tasks, and by giving the work to librarians which researchers are not excited to do themselves, it may reinforce the stereotype of the librarian as simply, support [17].…”