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1 – 10 of 559
Article
Publication date: 15 March 2024

Beatrice Arthur and Thomas van der Walt

The purpose of this study is to investigate the current research data management practices among researchers in Ghana and their impact on data reuse and collaborative research…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the current research data management practices among researchers in Ghana and their impact on data reuse and collaborative research. The study aims to identify the methods used by researchers to store and preserve their research data, as well as to determine the extent to which researchers share their data with others.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a mixed-method research strategy to blend qualitative and quantitative data and is conducted at two public and two private universities in Ghana.

Findings

The study revealed that researchers in Ghana currently store and preserve their research data using personal devices, such as laptops, CDs and external flash drives, rather than keeping the data in university data repositories. They also do not share their research data with others, which negatively affects collaborative research. The current practice of storing data on personal devices and not sharing data with others hinders collaborative research. The study recommends that universities in Ghana revise their research policy documents to address RDM-related issues such as data storage, data preservation, data sharing and data reuse.

Research limitations/implications

The study was conducted at two public and two private universities in Ghana, but the findings were placed in a wider context through appropriate references.

Practical implications

This study emphasises the need for sound research data management procedures to support research collaboration and data reuse in Ghana. Universities should provide incentives to academics to disclose their data to encourage data sharing and collaboration.

Social implications

The government and management of universities should consciously invest in the needed technologies and equipment to implement research data management in their universities.

Originality/value

This study looks at how researchers in Ghana manage their research data and how it affects data reuse and collaborative research.

Details

Library Management, vol. 45 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-5124

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 November 2023

Laksmi Laksmi, Muhammad Fadly Suhendra, Shamila Mohamed Shuhidan and Umanto Umanto

This study aims to identify the readiness of institutional repositories in Indonesia to implement digital humanities (DH) data curation. Data curation is a method of managing…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to identify the readiness of institutional repositories in Indonesia to implement digital humanities (DH) data curation. Data curation is a method of managing research data that maintains the data’s accuracy and makes it available for reuse. It requires controlled data management.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a qualitative approach. Data collection was carried out through a focus group discussion in September–October 2022, interviews and document analysis. The informants came from four institutions in Indonesia.

Findings

The findings reveal that the national research repository has implemented data curation, albeit not optimally. Within the case study, one of the university repositories diligently curates its humanities data and has established networks extending to various ASEAN countries. Both the national archive repository and the other university repository have implemented rudimentary data curation practices but have not prioritized them. In conclusion, the readiness of the national research repository and the university repository stand at the high-capacity stage, while the national archive repository and the other university repository are at the established and early stages of data curation, respectively.

Research limitations/implications

This study examined only four repositories due to time constraints. Nonetheless, the four institutions were able to provide a comprehensive picture of their readiness for DH data curation management.

Practical implications

This study provides insight into strategies for developing DH data curation activities in institutional repositories. It also highlights the need for professional development for curators so they can devise and implement stronger ownership policies and data privacy to support a data-driven research agenda.

Originality/value

This study describes the preparations that must be considered by institutional repositories in the development of DH data curation activities.

Article
Publication date: 25 January 2024

Besiki Stvilia and Dong Joon Lee

This study addresses the need for a theory-guided, rich, descriptive account of research data repositories' (RDRs) understanding of data quality and the structures of their data…

Abstract

Purpose

This study addresses the need for a theory-guided, rich, descriptive account of research data repositories' (RDRs) understanding of data quality and the structures of their data quality assurance (DQA) activities. Its findings can help develop operational DQA models and best practice guides and identify opportunities for innovation in the DQA activities.

Design/methodology/approach

The study analyzed 122 data repositories' applications for the Core Trustworthy Data Repositories, interview transcripts of 32 curators and repository managers and data curation-related webpages of their repository websites. The combined dataset represented 146 unique RDRs. The study was guided by a theoretical framework comprising activity theory and an information quality evaluation framework.

Findings

The study provided a theory-based examination of the DQA practices of RDRs summarized as a conceptual model. The authors identified three DQA activities: evaluation, intervention and communication and their structures, including activity motivations, roles played and mediating tools and rules and standards. When defining data quality, study participants went beyond the traditional definition of data quality and referenced seven facets of ethical and effective information systems in addition to data quality. Furthermore, the participants and RDRs referenced 13 dimensions in their DQA models. The study revealed that DQA activities were prioritized by data value, level of quality, available expertise, cost and funding incentives.

Practical implications

The study's findings can inform the design and construction of digital research data curation infrastructure components on university campuses that aim to provide access not just to big data but trustworthy data. Communities of practice focused on repositories and archives could consider adding FAIR operationalizations, extensions and metrics focused on data quality. The availability of such metrics and associated measurements can help reusers determine whether they can trust and reuse a particular dataset. The findings of this study can help to develop such data quality assessment metrics and intervention strategies in a sound and systematic way.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this paper is the first data quality theory guided examination of DQA practices in RDRs.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 April 2024

Ishrat Ayub Sofi, Ajra Bhat and Rahat Gulzar

The study aims to shed light on the current state of “Dataset repositories” indexed in Directory of Open Access Repositories (OpenDOAR).

Abstract

Purpose

The study aims to shed light on the current state of “Dataset repositories” indexed in Directory of Open Access Repositories (OpenDOAR).

Design/methodology/approach

From each repository/record information, the Open-Access Policies, Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH), year of creation and the number of data sets archived in the repositories were manually searched, documented and analyzed.

Findings

Developed countries like the United Kingdom and the USA are primarily involved in the development of institutional open-access repositories comprising significant components of OpenDOAR. The most extensively used software is DSpace. Most data set archives are OAI-PMH compliant but do not follow open-access rules. The study also highlights the sites’ embrace of Web 2.0 capabilities and discovers really simple syndication feeds and Atom integration. The use of social media has made its presence known. Furthermore, the study concludes that the number of data sets kept in repositories is insufficient, although the expansion of such repositories has been consistent over the years.

Practical implications

The work has the potential to benefit both researchers in general and policymakers in particular. Scholars interested in research data, data sharing and data reuse can learn about the present state of repositories that preserve data sets in OpenDOAR. At the same time, policymakers can develop recommendations and policies to assist in the construction and maintenance of repositories for data sets.

Originality/value

According to the literature, there have been numerous studies on open-access repositories and OpenDOAR internationally, but no research has focused on repositories preserving content-type data sets. As a result, the study attempts to uncover various characteristics of OpenDOAR Data set repositories.

Details

Digital Library Perspectives, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2059-5816

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 April 2023

Aasif Mohammad Khan, Fayaz Ahmad Loan, Umer Yousuf Parray and Sozia Rashid

Data sharing is increasingly being recognized as an essential component of scholarly research and publishing. Sharing data improves results and propels research and discovery…

Abstract

Purpose

Data sharing is increasingly being recognized as an essential component of scholarly research and publishing. Sharing data improves results and propels research and discovery forward. Given the importance of data sharing, the purpose of the study is to unveil the present scenario of research data repositories (RDR) and sheds light on strategies and tactics followed by different countries for efficient organization and optimal use of scientific literature.

Design/methodology/approach

The data for the study is collected from registry of RDR (re3data registry) (re3data.org), which covers RDR from different academic disciplines and provides filtration options “Search” and “Browse” to access the repositories. Using these filtration options, the researchers collected metadata of repositories i.e. country wise contribution, content-type data, repository language interface, software usage, metadata standards and data access type. Furthermore, the data was exported to Google Sheets for analysis and visualization.

Findings

The re3data registry holds a rich and diverse collection of data repositories from the majority of countries all over the world. It is revealed that English is the dominant language, and the most widely used software for the creation of data repositories are “DataVerse”, followed by “Dspace” and “MySQL”. The most frequently used metadata standards are “Dublin Core” and “Datacite metadata schema”. The majority of repositories are open, with more than half of the repositories being “disciplinary” in nature, and the most significant data sources include “scientific and statistical data” followed by “standard office documents”.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation of the study is that the findings are based on the data collected through a single registry of repositories, and only a few characteristic features were investigated.

Originality/value

The study will benefit all countries with a small number of data repositories or no repositories at all, with tools and techniques used by the top repositories to ensure long-term storage and accessibility to research data. In addition to this, the study provides a global overview of RDR and its characteristic features.

Details

Information Discovery and Delivery, vol. 52 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-6247

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 January 2024

Li Si and Xianrui Liu

This research aims to explore the research data ethics governance framework and collaborative network to optimize research data ethics governance practices, to balance the…

Abstract

Purpose

This research aims to explore the research data ethics governance framework and collaborative network to optimize research data ethics governance practices, to balance the relationship between data development and utilization, open sharing, data security and to reduce the ethical risks that may arise from data sharing and utilization.

Design/methodology/approach

This study explores the framework and collaborative network of research data ethics policies by using the UK as an example. 78 policies from the UK government, university, research institution, funding agency, publisher, database, library and third-party organization are obtained. Adopting grounded theory (GT) and social network analysis (SNA), Nvivo12 is used to analyze these samples and summarize the research data ethics governance framework. Ucinet and Netdraw are used to reveal collaborative networks in policy.

Findings

Results indicate that the framework covers governance context, subject and measure. The content of governance context contains context description and data ethics issues analysis. Governance subject consists of defining subjects and facilitating their collaboration. Governance measure includes governance guidance and ethics governance initiatives in the data lifecycle. The collaborative network indicates that research institution plays a central role in ethics governance. The core of the governance content are ethics governance initiatives, governance guidance and governance context description.

Research limitations/implications

This research provides new insights for policy analysis by combining GT and SNA methods. Research data ethics and its governance are conceptualized to complete data governance and research ethics theory.

Practical implications

A research data ethics governance framework and collaborative network are revealed, and actionable guidance for addressing essential aspects of research data ethics and multiple subjects to confer their functions in collaborative governance is provided.

Originality/value

This study analyzes policy text using qualitative and quantitative methods, ensuring fine-grained content profiling and improving policy research. A typical research data ethics governance framework is revealed. Various stakeholders' roles and priorities in collaborative governance are explored. These contribute to improving governance policies and governance levels in both theory and practice.

Details

Aslib Journal of Information Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-3806

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 September 2023

Djoko Sigit Sayogo, Sri Budi Cantika Yuli and Firda Ayu Amalia

This study aims to identify and outline the critical challenges affecting the inclination of executives to use data as the basis for making decisions at a local government level.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to identify and outline the critical challenges affecting the inclination of executives to use data as the basis for making decisions at a local government level.

Design/methodology/approach

The study conducted in-depth interviews with 21 public officials comprising middle- and top-level executives from 18 agencies and offices at the Bojonegoro Regency, one of Indonesia’s most progressive regencies in pursuing open government and smart cities.

Findings

The findings demonstrate that ensuring a good quality data architecture, nurturing data culture and developing analytics capability are essential in the case of a developing country such as Indonesia. However, insufficient policies and regulations, a nonexistent evaluative framework for data quality, disruptive local tradition and the ingrained autocratic administration represent significant and unique challenges to implementing data-driven decision-making in the local government in Indonesia.

Research limitations/implications

The chosen research approach may result in a need for more generalizability beyond Indonesia, accentuating the necessity for the geographical objects to include other developing countries in future research.

Practical implications

The findings showcase that lack of awareness and acceptance from public officials and the general public of the importance of a data-driven approach; as such, a better understanding of the change in attitudes and mindsets of public officials is invariably one of the critical practical determinants.

Originality/value

The findings signify the importance of creating robust accountability systems and evaluative frameworks that consider the many variables influencing decisions that capture the significance of organizational and local culture.

Details

Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy, vol. 18 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6166

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 May 2023

Pietro Pavone, Paolo Ricci and Massimiliano Calogero

This paper aims to investigate the literacy corpus regarding the potential of big data to improve public decision-making processes and direct these processes toward the creation…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the literacy corpus regarding the potential of big data to improve public decision-making processes and direct these processes toward the creation of public value. This paper presents a map of current knowledge in a sample of selected articles and explores the intersecting points between data from the private sector and the public dimension in relation to benefits for society.

Design/methodology/approach

A bibliometric analysis was performed to provide a retrospective review of published content in the past decade in the field of big data for the public interest. This paper describes citation patterns, key topics and publication trends.

Findings

The findings indicate a propensity in the current literature to deal with the issue of data value creation in the private dimension (data as input to improve business performance or customer relations). Research on data for the public good has so far been underestimated. Evidence shows that big data value creation is closely associated with a collective process in which multiple levels of interaction and data sharing develop between both private and public actors in data ecosystems that pose new challenges for accountability and legitimation processes.

Research limitations/implications

The bibliometric method focuses on academic papers. This paper does not include conference proceedings, books or book chapters. Consequently, a part of the existing literature was excluded from the investigation and further empirical research is required to validate some of the proposed theoretical assumptions.

Originality/value

Although this paper presents the main contents of previous studies, it highlights the need to systematize data-driven private practices for public purposes. This paper offers insights to better understand these processes from a public management perspective.

Details

Meditari Accountancy Research, vol. 32 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2049-372X

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 5 April 2024

Miquel Centelles and Núria Ferran-Ferrer

Develop a comprehensive framework for assessing the knowledge organization systems (KOSs), including the taxonomy of Wikipedia and the ontologies of Wikidata, with a specific…

Abstract

Purpose

Develop a comprehensive framework for assessing the knowledge organization systems (KOSs), including the taxonomy of Wikipedia and the ontologies of Wikidata, with a specific focus on enhancing management and retrieval with a gender nonbinary perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employs heuristic and inspection methods to assess Wikipedia’s KOS, ensuring compliance with international standards. It evaluates the efficiency of retrieving non-masculine gender-related articles using the Catalan Wikipedian category scheme, identifying limitations. Additionally, a novel assessment of Wikidata ontologies examines their structure and coverage of gender-related properties, comparing them to Wikipedia’s taxonomy for advantages and enhancements.

Findings

This study evaluates Wikipedia’s taxonomy and Wikidata’s ontologies, establishing evaluation criteria for gender-based categorization and exploring their structural effectiveness. The evaluation process suggests that Wikidata ontologies may offer a viable solution to address Wikipedia’s categorization challenges.

Originality/value

The assessment of Wikipedia categories (taxonomy) based on KOS standards leads to the conclusion that there is ample room for improvement, not only in matters concerning gender identity but also in the overall KOS to enhance search and retrieval for users. These findings bear relevance for the design of tools to support information retrieval on knowledge-rich websites, as they assist users in exploring topics and concepts.

Article
Publication date: 24 January 2023

Li Si, Li Liu and Yi He

This paper aims to understand the current development situation of scientific data management policy in China, analyze the content structure of the policy and provide a…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to understand the current development situation of scientific data management policy in China, analyze the content structure of the policy and provide a theoretical basis for the improvement and optimization of the policy system.

Design/methodology/approach

China's scientific data management policies were obtained through various channels such as searching government websites and policy and legal database, and 209 policies were finally identified as the sample for analysis after being screened and integrated. A three-dimensional framework was constructed based on the perspective of policy tools, combining stakeholder and lifecycle theories. And the content of policy texts was coded and quantitatively analyzed according to this framework.

Findings

China's scientific data management policies can be divided into four stages according to the time sequence: infancy, preliminary exploration, comprehensive promotion and key implementation. The policies use a combination of three types of policy tools: supply-side, environmental-side and demand-side, involving multiple stakeholders and covering all stages of the lifecycle. But policy tools and their application to stakeholders and lifecycle stages are imbalanced. The development of future scientific data management policy should strengthen the balance of policy tools, promote the participation of multiple subjects and focus on the supervision of the whole lifecycle.

Originality/value

This paper constructs a three-dimensional analytical framework and uses content analysis to quantitatively analyze scientific data management policy texts, extending the research perspective and research content in the field of scientific data management. The study identifies policy focuses and proposes several strategies that will help optimize the scientific data management policy.

Details

Aslib Journal of Information Management, vol. 76 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-3806

Keywords

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