Research Data Management Services in Academic Libraries in the US: A Content Analysis of Libraries’ Websites

Abstract

United States through a content analysis of 185 library websites, with four main areas of focus: service, information, education, and network. The results from the content analysis of these webpages reveals that libraries need to advance and engage more actively to provide services, supply information online, and develop educational services. There is also a wide variation among library data management services and programs according to their web presence. IntroductionThe importance of research data management has been emphasized over the past few decades. Tenopir et al. argue that, as science grows and moves toward more collaborative, data-intensive, and computational research, researchers are faced with various data management needs.1 Research data management is also mandated for scholarly researchers.2 Despite this, many researchers are unprepared for or lack sufficient time to handle the requirements of data management.3 Researchers also have a number of concerns about data management issues, such as data storage, integrity, and backup options. 4 Keil thus argues the researchers will need the help of a team of experts. 5As a response to researchers' need and request for help with data management, academic libraries have been actively involved in research data services: that is, "services that address the full data lifecycle, including the data management plan, digital Although libraries are aware of their potential role in and impact on research data management and curation and have started providing (or planning) data management services, not all libraries are in the same phase due to the different perceptions and needs related to data management at the institutional level, which vary with institutional capacity (and/or boundaries) and policies. Previous research reports that libraries face many challenges in data management program development (such as funding for personnel and equipment and lack of broader institutional support). Tools and recommendations have been developed by leading libraries to overcome these challenges, but other areas of support are needed, such as professional training and collaboration with other institutions to develop more skills in identifying appropriate materials.This study examined the research data (management) services in academic libraries in the United States through a content analysis of 185 library websites. Examining the current landscape of research data management services is timely and significant for both libraries that are currently planning to improve their data management services and those libraries that are already ahead in providing services. This research provides an overall understanding of where research data management programs are and where they are going; it also facilitates the understanding of current practices and data management recommendations and/or tool adoptions and reveals areas that need improvement and support. Literature ReviewMany researchers attest to the role of libraries in data management. Flore et al. argue that data management involv...

Research Data Sharing: Practices and Attitudes of Geophysicists

“…Scientific researchers indicated a lack of awareness that there are data management or information experts in their institutional libraries (Figure ). (See Yoon and Schultz () and Tenopir, Hughes, et al () for recent studies of library data management assistance.) This combination of perceived lack of assistance and lack of common data management knowledge may not negatively impact researcher's satisfaction of their data storage practices, however (Figure ), with three quarters (75.3%) indicating that they are satisfied with their short‐term data storage practices and half (50.8%) indicating that they are satisfied with their long‐term data storage practices.…”

“…For example, scientists generally want to be able to publish their data findings first, for their data to be cited properly and interpreted correctly, and for the process of sharing data to be simple and convenient. Convenience is often a factor in scientists' decisions on where and when to share their data sets (Yoon, 2017). Scientists are more likely to share data if the processes are standardized, simple, and they are given assistance (van Den Van Den Eynden et al, 2016).…”

“…Many data managers have argued that lack of metadata standardization prevents researchers from openly sharing their data. Improving these standards may very well increase the level trust that scientists have for other members of the scientific community (Yoon, 2017). This is because rich metadata increases the discoverability, accessibility, and validity of data sets and ensures that scientists can reuse data without later discovering that it contains mistakes or was falsified (Faniel et al, 2016).…”

Role of communication in data reuse

“…Sometimes, early in their careers, data reusers found it even difficult to engage in data talk without an established network. While academic libraries have initiated efforts to support scholars' data work, their data services usually aid in scholars' data sharing by providing data management and documentation guidelines; not many offer services relevant to data reuse (Yoon & Schultz, 2017). Active support for scholars' communications around data would be necessary, such as developing a tool to foster effective communications among scholars and their information sharing for data reuse.…”

Software Curation in Research Libraries: Practice and Promise

“…Research data management (RDM) groups and services are increasingly common in research libraries, partially fueled by changes in federal funding grant application requirements to encourage data management planning. In fact, according to a recent content analysis of academic library websites, 185 libraries are now offering RDM services (Yoon & Schultz, 2017).…”