scholarly journals Collaborating Externally and Training Internally to Support Research Data Services

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. e1165
Author(s):  
Matthew R Harp ◽  
Matt Ogborn
Author(s):  
Lisa Federer

Objectives: Many librarians are taking on new roles in research data services. However, the emerging field of data librarianship, including specific roles and competencies, has not been clearly established. This study aims to better define data librarianship by exploring the skills and knowledge that data librarians utilize and the training that they need to succeed.Methods: Librarians who do data-related work were surveyed about their work and educational backgrounds and asked to rate the relevance of a set of data-related skills and knowledge to their work.Results: Respondents considered a broad range of skills and knowledge important to their work, especially “soft skills” and personal characteristics, like communication skills and the ability to develop relationships with researchers. Traditional library skills like cataloging and collection development were considered less important. A cluster analysis of the responses revealed two types of data librarians: data generalists, who tend to provide data services across a variety of fields, and subject specialists, who tend to provide more specialized services to a distinct discipline.Discussion: The findings of this study suggest that data librarians provide a broad range of services to their users and, therefore, need a variety of skills and expertise. Libraries hiring a data librarian may wish to consider whether their communities will be best served by a data generalist or a subject specialist and write their job postings accordingly. These findings also have implications for library schools, which could consider adjusting their curricula to better prepare their students for data librarian roles. This article has been approved for the Medical Library Association’s Independent Reading Program.


IFLA Journal ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol Tenopir ◽  
Robert J. Sandusky ◽  
Suzie Allard ◽  
Ben Birch

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Murray ◽  
Megan O'Donnell ◽  
Mark Laufersweiler ◽  
John Novak ◽  
Betty Rozum ◽  
...  

This report shares the results of a Spring 2018 survey of 35 academic libraries in the United States in regard to the research data services (RDS) they offer. An executive summary presents key findings while the results section provides detailed information on the answers to specific survey questions related to data repositories, metadata, workshops, and polices.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 46-51
Author(s):  
Breezy Silver

Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS) is a unique, complex data resource popular with academia but also utilized in government agencies, nonprofits, and corporations. It contains financial and accounting related data and tools but also includes limited data from some other subject areas like healthcare and marketing. WRDS provides the interface to access datasets with limited datasets included and then individual datasets may also be purchased. WRDS makes accessing and using data easier for users, but it also depends on users having enough experience in the field to be familiar with the various vendors and data coverage. Within academia, faculty and graduate students may have an easier time even though undergraduates are permitted access. While it is complicated, it does ease some of the burdens of working with data. Because it is focused on data, it allows users to find and use data with less limitations that users may encounter with regular business databases.


2010 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 261-270
Author(s):  
Rima Česynienė ◽  
Marina Neverkevič

The purpose of the paper is to analyse the obstacles to implementing social responsibility initiatives in small and medium-size business firms. The implementing fields and the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in small and medium-size business firms are stressed in the paper. The current situation of CSR in Lithuanian small and medium-size firms is presented. The research data allowed discovering that the main obstacle to implement social responsibility in the small and medium-size firms is the managers’ attitude that social responsibility is a matter of great concern only to large companies. 43% of respondents indicated this obstacle. On the other hand, the research data allowed finding out that in our turbulent environment social responsibility in small and medium-size business firms is not a random phenomenon (71 %), and it is constant concern to managers, which provides for the budget (54 %). The understanding that social responsibility initiatives are only charity or philanthropy is also declined, only 5% of the respondents think so, however, 32 % of firms are supporting charitable initiatives. The most stimulating factors in the implementation of CSR are: staff loyalty and job satisfaction, a better image of the company, long-term competitiveness of the business advantage, the increased consumers requirements. Socially responsible behaviour disincentives are: the lack of human resour-ces (51 %), lack of information about gain from socially responsible activities (50 %), lack of financial resources (28 %). Both theory and practice agree that the implementation of CSR issues is most dependent on the leader’s attitude. The managers of small and medium-size business firms mostly are coordinating the implementation of CSR initiatives (70% of respondents). The results of the empirical research of CSR initiatives implementation in business prac-tices were presented in the possible model of tools which stimulates social responsibility initiatives in small and medium-size business firms. This integrated model includes pu-blic, government and business efforts and interests: 1) improvement of public policy, 2) revitalization of public organizations; 3) encourage and support research, 4) integration of CSR into education, 5) singleness of purpose (depending on companies’ specifics), 6) increase of managers’ consciousness, 7) implementation of a step-by-step approach.


Author(s):  
Josiline Phiri Chigwada

The chapter seeks to analyze how librarians in Zimbabwe are responding to increasing librarian roles in the provision of research data services. The study sought to ascertain librarians' awareness and preparedness to offer research data management services at their institutions and determine support required by librarians to effectively deliver research data services. Participants were invited to respond to the survey, and survey monkey was used to administer the online questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed using content analysis, and it was thematically presented. Findings revealed that librarians in Zimbabwe are aware of their role in research data management, but the majority are not prepared to offer research data management services due to a lack of the required skills and resources. Challenges that were noted include lack of research data management policy at institutional levels and information technology issues such as obsolescence and security issues.


2020 ◽  
Vol 81 (6) ◽  
pp. 265
Author(s):  
David Free

Welcome to the June 2020 issue of C&RL News. Every two years, ACRL’s Research Planning and Review Committee produces their “Top trends in academic libraries.” The 2020 edition discusses change management; evolving integrated library systems; learning analytics; machine learning and AI; the state of open access and research data services; social justice, critical librarianship, and critical digital pedagogy; streaming media; and student wellbeing. Many thanks to the committee for pulling together this important survey of the current landscape of academic and research librarianship.


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