Understanding methodological and disciplinary differences in the data practices of academic researchers
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/LHT-02-2014-0021 |
| Pages | 467-482 |
| Date | 09 September 2014 |
| Published date | 09 September 2014 |
| Author | Travis Weller,Amalia Monroe-Gulick |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Librarianship/library management,Library technology |
Understanding methodological
and disciplinary differences
in the data practices of
academic researchers
Travis Weller
Institute for Policy and Social Research, University of Kansas, Lawrence,
Kansas, USA, and
Amalia Monroe-Gulick
University of Kansas Libraries, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
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 – Thisstudy adds to the developing literaturedescribing researchdata management.
Keywords Research, Academic libraries, University libraries, Assessment, Data management
Paper type Research p aper
Introduction
In response to the rise of data driven research, academic libraries have expanded their
research data services. Rather than adopt a blanket, “one-size fits” all model, these
research data services should be provided with a detailed and nuanced understanding
of their users. In this paper, the authors examine how research data practices and
future research needs vary by research methodology and academic discipline based on
results of a locally conducted survey. With this information, academic libraries can
offer targeted services to different user populations, which would be more efficient for
the libraries and more useful to the researchers.
Background
The prevalence of electronic data has changed the process of research. While a
researcher’s underlying research questions may remain consistent, the materials
available to investigate those questions, the tools available to analyze materials, and
the methods for disseminating results of that analysis have all shifted in recent years.
As part of the campus research infrastructure, academic libra ries have been
evaluating their role in this era of data driven research (Hey and Hey, 2006; Jones, 2008;
Luce, 2008; Soehner et al., 2010). A 2010 survey of Association of Research Libraries
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0737-8831.htm
Received 14 February 2014
Revised 4 March 2014
Accepted 18 March 2014
Library Hi Tech
Vol.32 No. 3, 2014
pp. 467-482
rEmeraldGroup PublishingLimited
0737-8831
DOI 10.1108/LHT-02-2014-0021
The authors would like to acknowledge the contributions of Brian Rosenblum and Julie Waters
for their contributions to the development and dissemination of the survey instrument.
467
Data practices of
academic
researchers
member libraries found that 73 percent were involved in supporting data driven
science, in some way, at their institutions (Soehner et al., 2010). However, the types of
data services offered varied by institution from helping to locate relevant data to
data curation and preservation. A report released two years later, in 2012, found that
only half of libraries at research institutions offered reference support for data, and
approximately a quarter of libraries at these institutions offered data management
consulting, data standard consulting and more comprehensive research data services
(Tenopir et al., 2012). The same study found though that libraries planned to
dramatically increase the services they offer in the near future. A recent study of four
midwestern land-grant universities showed significant variation in the data management
services offered by four schools that are incredibly similar in terms of the student body,
research profile, geography and institutional mission (Deards, 2013).
The role of individual librarians is similarly unresolved. Most libraries reassign
existing staff to provide assistance with research data (Soehner et al., 2010). Despite
this, relatively few academic librarians directly interact with researchers on data topics
such as the data lifecycle, data management planning, data analysis and preservation
(Bresnahan and Johnson, 2013). A recent survey targeted specifically to academic
librarians most likely to provide data support services found that less than one-third of
those librarians provide research data services as an “integral” part of their job
responsibilities (Tenopir et al., 2013). At the same time, there seems to be an emerging
number of academic librarians who serve as research data managers (Cox and
Corrall, 2013).
To help guide the services they offer their researchers, a wave of institutions have
conduced campus-wide studies to better understand the research needs on their own
campus (Marcus et al., 2007 (University of Minnesota); Peters and Dryden, 2011
(University of Houston); Akers and Doty, 2012 (Emory University); Gu and Averkamp,
2012 (University of Iowa); Wells Parham et al. 2012 (Georgia Inst. of Tech.); Parsons
et al., 2013 (University of Nottingham); Wilson, 2013 (University of Oxford)). Inspired
by efforts at other institutions, and in order to better understand the needs of their own
researchers, the University of Kansas (KU) Libraries decided to conduct a similar
local study of the campus. KU is a major, public research institution. With over $286
million dollars in research expenditures in fiscal year 2012, it ranked 75th among
all institutions in research dollars[1]. It is a doctoral granting institution with 5,691
graduate students and 1,608 faculty members[2]. The KU campus hosts a wide range of
disciplines, from engineering to humanities, however, the medical school is separate
and was not included in the study. The results of the survey at KU will help guide
service provision at this campus, but also contribute to the broader understanding of
research data practices and needs.
Literature review
Significant progress has been made in recent years in understanding the data
practices of academic researchers. At the broad, disciplinary level, the UK based
Research Information Network (RIN) produced studies that examined how life science
and humanities researchers interact with their data (Research Information Network
(RIN), 2009 , 2011).
Life science researchers in particular worked with large amounts of data, some of
which was standardized and machine generated, while others worked with more
diverse data (RIN, 2009). These researchers felt highly protective of their data but
were willing to freely share the software, tools and codes they used to analyze the data.
468
LHT
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