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1 – 10 of over 57000Rita Jeanne Shea-Van Fossen, Rosa Di Virgilio Taormina and JoDee LaCasse
The purpose of this paper is to determine which software systems business school administrators use to support accreditation efforts and how administrators select and use these…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to determine which software systems business school administrators use to support accreditation efforts and how administrators select and use these systems. This study also provides best practice suggestions from institutions using faculty data management systems to support accreditation efforts.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used a sequential explanatory design using an internet-based survey for business school administrators involved with accreditation reporting with follow-up interviews with survey respondents.
Findings
There are four major software vendors that most respondents use for managing reporting of faculty research activity and sufficiency. The location of the school appears to influence the system selected. For assurance of learning reporting, most schools used an in-house or manual system. Respondents highlighted the importance of doing a thorough needs analysis before selecting a system.
Research limitations/implications
Although respondents were geographically diverse, having a larger sample with schools in developing regions would provide greater generalizability of results.
Practical implications
This study gives business school leaders a comprehensive overview of the business schools’ data management systems, criteria used in system selection and best practices for system selection and implementation, faculty engagement and ongoing maintenance.
Originality/value
This study addresses the limited attention given to resources and best practices for selecting and implementing faculty data management software for accreditation in the academic and industry literature despite the significant investment of resources for schools and the importance such systems play in a successful accreditation effort.
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Amanda L. Whitmire, Michael Boock and Shan C. Sutton
The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how knowledge of local research data management (RDM) practices critically informs the progressive development of research data…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how knowledge of local research data management (RDM) practices critically informs the progressive development of research data services (RDS) after basic services have already been established.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey was distributed via e-mail to all university faculty in the fall of 2013, and was left open for just over one month. The authors sent two reminder e-mails before closing the survey. Survey data were downloaded from Qualtrics survey software and analyzed in R.
Findings
In this paper, the authors reviewed a subset of survey findings that included data types, volume, and storage locations, RDM roles and responsibilities, and metadata practices. The authors found that Oregon State University (OSU) researchers are generating a wide variety of data types, and that practices vary between colleges. The authors discovered that faculty are not utilizing campus-wide storage infrastructure, and are maintaining their own storage servers in surprising numbers. Faculty-level research assistants perform the majority of data-related tasks at OSU, with the exception of data sharing, which is primarily handled by the professorial ranks. The authors found that many faculty on campus are creating metadata, but that there is a need to provide support in how to discover and create standardized metadata.
Originality/value
This paper presents a novel example of how to efficiently move from establishing basic RDM services to providing more focussed services that meet specific local needs. It provides an approach for others to follow when tackling the difficult question of, “What next?” with regard to providing academic RDS.
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The purpose of this paper is to describe how the authors gained a better understanding of the variety of library users' data needs, and how gradually some new data services were…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe how the authors gained a better understanding of the variety of library users' data needs, and how gradually some new data services were established based on current capabilities.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses a case study of the new data services at the John Cotton Dana Library, at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark campus, to demonstrate the possible ways to extend data reference services and provide data computing services. A content analysis of services records shows how each user group falls into the multiple data services levels and subcategories.
Findings
Library users can be classified into many different categories, and each of these may have different needs. Research centers might have big projects involving data gathering and applications where a librarian can mainly provide consultation; while an individual faculty member or student might need the librarians as research partners, with help for their specific problems. Computing data services can involve group training and statistical analysis assistance, where researchers need emergent help. Data librarians can take various opportunities for data management education, thereby gradually raising awareness and cultivating better research habits among researchers.
Originality/value
Library data computing services can make unique contributions to faculty and students' research and study. Institution, library and users' interaction determines the levels and extent of data services and is generalized from the description and analysis of typical data service examples. Classic concept of data services levels is applied to a concrete case of data services program, and sub‐categories of each data services level and user types are developed based on the authors' services record.
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Because of online digital resources, academic libraries no longer need to spend as much time and energy organizing their own collections as they used to. They now have an…
Abstract
Because of online digital resources, academic libraries no longer need to spend as much time and energy organizing their own collections as they used to. They now have an opportunity to pivot their expertise in organizing information outward. “Inside-out” library services can include support for special collections, digital scholarship, scholarly communication, and data management. A key characteristic of such services is that an academic library takes on broader information management challenges at their college or university. This chapter will examine what it takes to build successful inside-out library services by looking at their cost, how well they complement existing library expertise and culture, and their impact on teaching, research, and the wider community.
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The purpose of this paper is to share a case study process of collaboration with faculty, highlight some design considerations when creating data entry forms and describe some…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to share a case study process of collaboration with faculty, highlight some design considerations when creating data entry forms and describe some considerations when planning for data management.
Design/methodology/approach
A case study is presented with goals, events and design considerations.
Findings
Findings show that librarians can be essential members of a faculty research team.
Research limitations/implications
Each partnership is different with different data management needs. Design considerations for a data entry form depend on the specific data being collected.
Practical implications
Principles can be applied to other libraries developing data management collaborations with faculty or for designing of Web/paper data entry forms.
Originality/value
Most forms are not interactive beyond simple presentation of alternate questions. This form of design method builds on user inputs to create dynamic, color-coded and textual guidance. Some of the process of collaborating with faculty partners is shared.
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Travis Weller and Amalia Monroe-Gulick
– The purpose of this paper is to better understand the data practices, influences and needs of researchers at a major public research institution.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to better understand the data practices, influences and needs of researchers at a major public research institution.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is based on the results of a pre-tested, web-based survey of University of Kansas faculty, staff, researchers and graduate students.
Findings
Influences on data practices and data needs vary with the research methodology and academic discipline of the researcher.
Practical implications
Academic libraries may need to adjust the services they offer to meet the varying needs of researchers in differing disciplines using differing methodologies.
Originality/value
This study adds to the developing literature describing research data management.
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Li Si, Wenming Xing, Xiaozhe Zhuang, Xiaoqin Hua and Limei Zhou
This paper aims to find the current situation of research data services by academic libraries and summarize some strategies for university libraries to reference. Recent years…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to find the current situation of research data services by academic libraries and summarize some strategies for university libraries to reference. Recent years have seen an increasing number of university libraries extended their traditional roles and provided research data services.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper selected 87 libraries of the top 100 universities listed in the World’s Best Universities released by the USA News in October 2012 as samples and conducted a Web site investigation to check if there were any research data services provided. In addition, it made an interview with the Wuhan University Library’s Research Data Service Workgroup to understand the procedure, difficulties and experiences of their research data service. Based on the survey and interview, it analyzed the current status and difficulties of research data services in university libraries and proposed some strategies for others to reference.
Findings
Of the 87 university libraries investigated, 50 libraries have offered research data services. Most of the services can be divided into six aspects: research data introduction, data management guideline, data curation and storage service, data management training, data management reference and resource recommendation. Among these services, research data introduction is the most frequently provided (47.13 per cent), followed by data curation and storage services (43.68 per cent), data management guideline (42.53 per cent), data management reference (41.38 per cent), resource recommendation (41.38 per cent) and data management training (24.14 per cent). The difficulties met by research data service of Chinese academic libraries are also concluded.
Originality/value
Through Web site investigation and interview with the Wuhan University Library’s Research Data Service, this paper presented an overall picture of research data services in university libraries and identified the difficulties and experiences of research data services of the Wuhan University Library. Based on some successful examples, it put forward some strategies for university libraries to reference. This study is very useful for academic libraries to promote their research data services.
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Propelled by fast-evolving computational technology and cloud-based data storage, the increasing ease in research data collection is outstripping the capacity in research data…
Abstract
Purpose
Propelled by fast-evolving computational technology and cloud-based data storage, the increasing ease in research data collection is outstripping the capacity in research data service (RDS) in academic institutions. To illustrate the challenges and opportunities in providing RDS, the author provides a systematic review of the RDS offered in academic institutions and libraries by combining existing literature and survey data collected from the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL). In addition, the RDS websites of 2013 ARL survey-participating institutions are also examined. The aim of the paper is to provide an environmental scan of the current state of RDS provision in academic institutions, to add to the body of knowledge of RDS development, and to inform and enable academic libraries to make strategic RDS plans.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper analyzes the strategies used and levels of RDS provided by reviewing recent literature, exploiting existing survey data from ARL and ACRL, and examining RDS websites of the 2013 ARL survey-participating institutions, in areas that reflect the life cycle of RDS provision including research data management planning, metadata consultation and tool provision, data archiving, institutional repository provision and data sharing and access.
Findings
The overall offerings of the library-led research data services in ARL research-intensive institutions have shown signs of increasing. Increased engagement and expanded scope and level of services are two noticeable trends in academic library RDS provision. Academic libraries are taking advantage of open access repositories by advising researchers to use the available resources alongside their local repositories for data safe-keeping and sharing. Discussions on RDS policy and infrastructure development are inadequate or largely non-existent.
Originality/value
Through systematically reviewing current literature, drawing on the results of available surveys on RDS offerings by academic libraries conducted between 2009 and 2014 and examining and further reviewing the websites of these 2013 ARL survey-participating institutions, the author presents the current state of academic library activities in RDS provision, and provides a critical evaluation of the scope and level of services currently being offered in academic libraries, and the opportunities in RDS development, to add to the body of knowledge of RDS provision by academic institutions.
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The purpose of this study was to identify the digital curation practices in institutional repositories (IRs) in South India.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to identify the digital curation practices in institutional repositories (IRs) in South India.
Design/methodology/approach
A voluntary survey was conducted among the IR managers of 23 South Indian IRs, and the response rate was 87%.
Findings
This study found that the active participation of South Indian IRs was only seen in a few digital curation activities. However, of the 33 digital curation activities analyzed, the active participation of repositories was only seen in ten digital curation activities. The performance of preservation activities was extremely low, and disagreements were recorded by the survey participants toward several digital curation activities. The most disagreed digital curation activities were emulation and cease data curation. All the participants had assigned metadata and allowed file downloads in their repositories. Raman Research Institute had provided a good number of digital curation services in their IR.
Originality/value
This is an in-depth study investigating the digital curation practice currently underway in South Indian IRs, and the researcher could not find similar studies in this niche.
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Fatimah Jibril Abduldayan, Fasola Petunola Abifarin, Georgina Uchey Oyedum and Jibril Attahiru Alhassan
The purpose of this study was to understand the research data management practices of chemistry researchers in the five specialized federal universities of technology in Nigeria…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to understand the research data management practices of chemistry researchers in the five specialized federal universities of technology in Nigeria. Appropriate research data management practice ensures that research data are available for reuse by secondary users, and research findings can be verified and replicated within the scientific community. A poor research data management practice can lead to irrecoverable data loss, unavailability of data to support research findings and lack of trust in the research process.
Design/methodology/approach
An exploratory research technique involving semi-structured, oral and face-to-face interview is used to gather data on research data management practices of chemistry researchers in Nigeria. Interview questions were divided into four major sections covering chemistry researchers’ understanding of research data, experience with data loss, data storage method and backup techniques, data protection, data preservation and availability of data management plan. Braun and Clarke thematic analysis approach was adapted, and the Provalis Qualitative Data Miner (version 5) software was used for generating themes and subthemes from the coding framework and for presenting the findings.
Findings
Findings revealed that chemistry researchers in Nigeria have a good understanding of the concept of research data and its importance to research findings. Chemistry researchers have had several experiences of irrecoverable loss of data because of poor choice of storage devices, back-up methods and weak data protection systems. Even though the library was agreed as the most preferred place for long-term data preservation, there is the issue of trust and fear of loss of ownership of data to unauthorized persons or party. No formal data management plan is used while conducting their scientific research.
Research limitations/implications
The research focused on research data management practices of chemistry researchers in the five specialized federal universities of technology in Nigeria. Although the findings of the study are similar to perceptions and practices of researchers around the world, it cannot be used as a basis for generalization across other scientific disciplines.
Practical implications
This study concluded that chemistry researchers need further orientation and continuous education on the importance and benefits of appropriate research data management practice. The library should also roll out research data management programs to guide researchers and improve their confidence throughout the research process.
Social implications
Appropriate research data management practice not only ensures that the underlying research data are true and available for reuse and re-validation, but it also encourages data sharing among researchers. Data sharing will help to ensure better collaboration among researchers and increased visibility of the datasets and data owners through the use of standard data citations and acknowledgements.
Originality/value
This is a qualitative and in-depth study of research data management practices and perceptions among researchers in a particular scientific field of study.
Details
Keywords
- Nigeria
- Research data management
- Research
- Research data
- Chemistry researcher (chemists)
- Federal universities of technology
- Federal University of Technology Minna
- Federal University of Technology Akure
- Federal University of Technology Owerri
- Modibbo Adama University of Technology Yola
- Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi