Research data management at a public university in Malawi: the role of “three hands”

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (6/7) ◽  
pp. 467-485
Author(s):  
Winner Dominic Chawinga ◽  
Sandy Zinn
Keyword(s):  
Data Management ◽  
Data Storage ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Public University ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Data Management ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
The University

PurposeConsidering that research data is increasingly hailed as an important raw material for current and future science discoveries, many research stakeholders have joined forces to create mechanisms for preserving it. However, regardless of generating rich research data, Africa lags behind in research data management thereby potentially losing most of this valuable data. Therefore, this study was undertaken to investigate the research data management practices at a Malawian public university with the aim to recommend appropriate data management strategies.Design/methodology/approachThe study is inspired by the pragmatic school of thought thereby adopting quantitative and qualitative research approaches. Quantitative data was collected using a questionnaire from 150 researchers and 25 librarians while qualitative data was collected by conducting an interview with the Director of Research.FindingsResearchers are actively involved in research activities thereby generating large quantities of research data. Although researchers are willing to share their data, only a handful follow through. Data preservation is poor because the university uses high risk data storage facilities, namely personal computers, flash disks, emails and external hard drives. Researchers and librarians lacked core research data-management competencies because of the lack of formal and information training opportunities. Challenges that frustrate research data-management efforts are many but the key ones include absence of research data management policies, lack of incentives, lack of skills and unavailability of data infrastructure.Research limitations/implicationsThe study's findings are based on one out of four public universities in the country; hence, the findings may not adequately address the status of research data management practices in the other universities.Practical implicationsConsidering that the university under study and its counterparts in Malawi and Africa in general operate somewhat in a similar economic and technological environment, these findings could be used as a reference point for other universities intending to introduce research data management initiatives.Originality/valueWith seemingly limited studies about research data management in Africa and particularly in Malawi, the study sets the tone for research data management debates and initiatives in the country and other African countries.

scholarly journals Student Research Data Management Practices at UC Data Day 2017

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy E Koshoffer ◽  
Keloni Parks
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Data Management ◽  
Poster Session ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Student Research ◽  
Research Data Management ◽  
University Of Cincinnati ◽  
The University

This article discusses increasing student engagement surrounding data management and how the University of Cincinnati Libraries tried to engage students with a poster session for its Data Day event in 2017.

A systematic literature review on research data management practices and services

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Murtaza Ashiq ◽  
Muhammad Haroon Usmani ◽  
Muhammad Naeem
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Data Management ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Open Access Publishing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Data Management

Purpose Research data management (RDM) has been called a “ground-breaking” area for research libraries and it is among the top future trends for academic libraries. Hence, this study aims to systematically review RDM practices and services primarily focusing on the challenges, services and skills along with motivational factors associated with it. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review method was used focusing on literature produced between 2016–2020 to understand the latest trends. An extensive research strategy was framed and 15,206 results appeared. Finally, 19 studies have fulfilled the criteria to be included in the study following preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis. Findings RDM is gradually gaining importance among researchers and academic libraries; however, it is still poorly practiced by researchers and academic libraries. Albeit, it is better observed in developed countries over developing countries, however, there are lots of challenges associated with RDM practices by researchers and services by libraries. These challenges demand certain sets of skills to be developed for better practices and services. An active collaboration is required among stakeholders and university services departments to figure out the challenges and issues. Research limitations/implications The implications of policy and practical point-of-view present how research data can be better managed in the future by researchers and library professionals. The expected/desired role of key stockholders in this regard is also highlighted. Originality/value RDM is an important and emerging area. Researchers and Library and Information Science professionals are not comprehensively managing research data as it involves complex cooperation among various stakeholders. A combination of measures is required to better manage research data that would ultimately move forward for open access publishing.

scholarly journals Research data management in Turkey: perceptions and practices

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 271-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arsev Umur Aydinoglu ◽  
Guleda Dogan ◽  
Zehra Taskin
Keyword(s):  
Data Management ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Data Management ◽  
Data Practices ◽  
The Subject

Purpose The massive increase in research data being produced nowadays has highlighted the importance of research data management (RDM) to science. Research data not only have to be cost effective but also reliable, discoverable, accessible, and reusable. In this regard, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the perceptions and practices of Turkish researchers on the subject of RDM. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was distributed to the academicians in 25 universities in Turkey, and 532 responses were gathered. Findings Results indicate that although Turkish researchers are aware of the benefits of data management, are willing to share their research data with certain groups, and have decent preservation habits, they express that they lack the technical skills and knowledge needed for RDM. In addition, no institutionalized support (staff, training, software, and hardware) is provided to researchers. Research limitations/implications A well-structured data strategy or policy that includes resource allocation (awareness, training, software/hardware) and is supported by Turkish research agencies is required for better data management practices among researchers in Turkey. Originality/value This is the first study that investigates the data practices of Turkish academics who produce around 30,000 scientific articles annually that are indexed by Web of Science. It contributes to the growing literature on RDM.

Variability in academic research data management practices

2015 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 382-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda L. Whitmire ◽  
Michael Boock ◽  
Shan C. Sutton
Keyword(s):  
Data Management ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Data Types ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Progressive Development ◽  
Research Data Management ◽  
Basic Services

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.

Research Data Management Practices in University libraries: A study

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manorama Tripathi ◽  
Archana Shukla ◽  
Sharad Kumar Sonkar
Keyword(s):  
Data Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Data Reuse ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Research Data Management ◽  
The World ◽  
The University

<p>The paper has studied the research data management (RDM) services implemented by different university libraries for managing, organizing, curating and preserving research data generated at their universities’ departments and laboratories, for data reuse and sharing. It has surveyed the central university libraries and the best 20 university libraries of the world to highlight how RDM is extended to the researchers. Further, it has suggested a model for the university libraries in the country to follow for actually deploying RDM services. </p>

scholarly journals Research Data Management Practices of Faculty Members

2018 ◽  
pp. 60-75
Author(s):  
Haseeb Ahmad Piracha ◽  
Kanwal Ameen
Keyword(s):  
Data Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Research Data Management ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
The University ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Significant Factors

The study aimed to explore the Research Data Management (RDM) practices of university faculty members through qualitative research design. The data was collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews from purposely selected ten faculty members from the University of Punjab (PU). The study discovered some significant factors including RDM and curation practices, the amount of research data produced, the support needed for data curation and their willingness to share it. In addition, the study explored issues the researchers face with regards to RDM. The findings reveal that respondents need assistance regarding storage and security of data, improving the quality of backup, support for storage and preservation. They agreed with a need for a central repository of the University.

Research data management practices of chemistry researchers in federal universities of technology in Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatimah Jibril Abduldayan ◽  
Fasola Petunola Abifarin ◽  
Georgina Uchey Oyedum ◽  
Jibril Attahiru Alhassan
Keyword(s):  
Data Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Data Preservation ◽  
Research Data Management ◽  
Research Findings

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.

Research Data Management Practices in University libraries: A study

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manorama Tripathi ◽  
Archana Shukla ◽  
Sharad Kumar Sonkar
Keyword(s):  
Data Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Data Reuse ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Research Data Management ◽  
The World ◽  
The University

<p>The paper has studied the research data management (RDM) services implemented by different university libraries for managing, organizing, curating and preserving research data generated at their universities’ departments and laboratories, for data reuse and sharing. It has surveyed the central university libraries and the best 20 university libraries of the world to highlight how RDM is extended to the researchers. Further, it has suggested a model for the university libraries in the country to follow for actually deploying RDM services. </p>

Research data management at the University of Bristol

2015 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 475-493 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debra Hiom ◽  
Dom Fripp ◽  
Stephen Gray ◽  
Kellie Snow ◽  
Damian Steer
Keyword(s):  
Data Management ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainability Planning ◽  
Research Data Management ◽  
Funded Project ◽  
University Of Bristol ◽  
The University

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to chart the development of research data management services within the University of Bristol, from the initial Jisc-funded project, through to pilot service and planned core funding of the service. Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides a case study of the approach of the University of Bristol Library service to develop a sustainable Research Data Service. Findings – It outlines the services developed during the project and pilot phases of the service. In particular it focuses on the sustainability planning to ensure that research data management is embedded as a core university service. Originality/value – The case study provides practical advice and valuable insights into the issues and experiences of ensuring that research data management is properly valued and supported within universities.

Data literacy and management of research data – a prerequisite for the sharing of research data

2021 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 322-341
Author(s):  
Agusta Palsdottir
Keyword(s):  
Data Management ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Professional Knowledge ◽  
Research Community ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Data Management ◽  
Use Of Data ◽  
The University

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the knowledge and attitude about research data management, the use of data management methods and the perceived need for support, in relation to participants’ field of research.Design/methodology/approachThis is a quantitative study. Data were collected by an email survey and sent to 792 academic researchers and doctoral students. Total response rate was 18% (N = 139). The measurement instrument consisted of six sets of questions: about data management plans, the assignment of additional information to research data, about metadata, standard file naming systems, training at data management methods and the storing of research data.FindingsThe main finding is that knowledge about the procedures of data management is limited, and data management is not a normal practice in the researcher's work. They were, however, in general, of the opinion that the university should take the lead by recommending and offering access to the necessary tools of data management. Taken together, the results indicate that there is an urgent need to increase the researcher's understanding of the importance of data management that is based on professional knowledge and to provide them with resources and training that enables them to make effective and productive use of data management methods.Research limitations/implicationsThe survey was sent to all members of the population but not a sample of it. Because of the response rate, the results cannot be generalized to all researchers at the university. Nevertheless, the findings may provide an important understanding about their research data procedures, in particular what characterizes their knowledge about data management and attitude towards it.Practical implicationsAwareness of these issues is essential for information specialists at academic libraries, together with other units within the universities, to be able to design infrastructures and develop services that suit the needs of the research community. The findings can be used, to develop data policies and services, based on professional knowledge of best practices and recognized standards that assist the research community at data management.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the existing literature about research data management by examining the results by participants’ field of research. Recognition of the issues is critical in order for information specialists in collaboration with universities to design relevant infrastructures and services for academics and doctoral students that can promote their research data management.

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