The Qualitative Data Repository (QDR) provides infrastructure and guidance for the sharing and reuse of digital data used in qualitative and multi-method social inquiry. In this paper we describe some of the repository’s early experiences providing services developed specifically for the curation of qualitative research data. We focus on QDR’s efforts to address two key challenges for qualitative data sharing. The first challenge concerns constraints on data sharing in order to protect human participants and their identities and to comply with copyright laws. The second set of challenges addresses the unique characteristics of qualitative data and their relationship to the published text. We describe a novel method of annotating scholarly publications, resulting in a "transparency appendix" that allows the sharing of such "granular data" (Moravcsik et al., 2013). We conclude by describing the future directions of QDR’s services for qualitative data archiving, sharing, and reuse.
The paper reports on an exploratory study of researchers’ needs for effective research data management at two Swedish universities, conducted in order to inform the ongoing development of research data services. Twelve researchers from diverse fields have been interviewed, including biology, cultural studies, economics, environmental studies, geography, history, linguistics, media and psychology. The interviews were structured, guided by the Data Curation Profiles Toolkit developed at Purdue University, with added questions regarding subject metadata. The preliminary analysis indicates that the research data management practices vary greatly among the respondents, and therefore so do the implications for research data services. The added questions on subject metadata indicate needs of services guiding researchers in describing their datasets with adequate metadata.
Data governance and data literacy are two important building blocks in the knowledge base of information professionals involved in supporting data-intensive research, and both address data quality and research data management. Applying data governance to research data management processes and data literacy education helps in delineating decision domains and defining accountability for decision making. Adopting data governance is advantageous, because it is a service based on standardised, repeatable processes and is designed to enable the transparency of data-related processes and cost reduction. It is also useful, because it refers to rules, policies, standards; decision rights; accountabilities and methods of enforcement. Therefore, although it received more attention in corporate settings and some of the skills related to it are already possessed by librarians, knowledge on data governance is foundational for research data services, especially as it appears on all levels of research data services, and is applicable to big data.
Employers need a workforce capable of using data to create actionable information. This requires students to develop data information literacy competencies that enable them to navigate and create meaning in an increasingly complex information world. This article examines why data information literacy should be integrated into program curricula, specifically in the instances of business and public health, and offers strategies for how it can be accomplished. We approach this as a comparative case study within undergraduate business and master of public health programs at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. These case studies reveal several implications for practice that apply across social and health sciences programs.
Data is the new buzzword in academic libraries, as policy increasingly mandates that data must be open and accessible, funders require formal data management plans, and institutions are implementing guidelines around best practice. Given concerns about the current data management practices of researchers, this paper reports on the initial findings from a project being undertaken at Griffith University to apply a conceptual (A-COM-B) framework to understanding researchers’ behaviour. The objective of the project is to encourage the use of institutionally endorsed solutions for research data management. Based on interviews conducted by a team of librarians in a small, social science research centre, preliminary results indicate that attitude is the key element which will need to be addressed in designing intervention strategies to modify behaviour. The paper concludes with a discussion of the next stages in the project, which involve further data collection and analysis, the implementation of targeted strategies, and a follow-up activity to assess the extent of modifications to current undesirable practices.
This article describes a research data management course for support staff such as librarians and IT staff. The authors, who coach the participants, introduce the three course formats and describe the training in more detail. In the last years over 170 persons have participated in this training. It combines a wealth of online information with face-to-face meetings. The aim of the course is to support the participants in strengthening various skills and acquiring knowledge so they feel confident to support, advise and train researchers. Interaction among the students is embedded in the structure of the training, because we regard it as a valuable instrument to develop a professional network. Recently the course has taken on a new challenge: in addition to the regular courses a couple of in house trainings have been delivered on request. The paper ends with a description of the key group assignments for such compact trainings.
The management of research data throughout its life-cycle is both a key prerequisite for effective data sharing and efficient long-term preservation of data. This article summarizes the data services and the overall approach to data management as currently practised at ETH-Bibliothek, the main library of ETH Zürich, the largest technical university in Switzerland. The services offered by service providers within ETH Zürich cover the entirety of the data life-cycle. The library provides support regarding conceptual questions, offers training and services concerning data publication and long-term preservation. As research data management continues to play a steadily more prominent part in both the requirements of researchers and funders as well as curricula and good scientific practice, ETH-Bibliothek is establishing close collaborations with researchers, in order to promote a mutual learning process and tackle new challenges.