Planning for Data Services: Researcher Needs & Perspectives on Data Management and Sharing

Objectives: The National Institute of Health’s (NIH) Data Management & Sharing (DMS) Policy requires researchers to prospectively plan for how scientific data will be preserved and shared. [Institution] Library faculty began to field questions about the upcoming policy in the spring of 2022 with respect to the Library’s and campus’s plans for assisting researchers in compliance. These conversations greatly energized efforts to assess and define the Library’s role in providing research data services. Prior to developing new services, the authors set out to better understand researcher needs and perspectives in order to identify service gaps, collaboration opportunities, and existing expertise.

Methods: [Library] serves an academic health science center with five colleges: Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Pharmacy, and Health Profession. 60-minute semi-structured data interviews were conducted via Zoom with 10 [Institution] faculty researchers. Participants were selected from a variety of health science disciplines and faculty statuses in order to engage with multiple perspectives. Interview questions discussed whether researchers currently share research data, which campus data services or support units they utilize, approaches and barriers to data management, and their thoughts on the new NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy. Anonymized transcripts were created with Word, cleaned for intelligent transcription, and inductively coded in Nvivo by two independent coders. Selected themes were pertinent to designing new research data services from the Library.

Results: Analysis of the interviews identified several opportunities for the Library to take ownership of research data services, including assisting with Data Management Plans, instruction on data cleaning, and education about sources for data re-use and sharing. Additionally, interviews highlighted confusion about existing campus services and a desire for centralized guidance and support. This project also facilitated collaboration with other campus units desiring to better understand researcher needs and enhance their own support, including Research Information Technology and local Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), among others. The data interviews and related conversations have spurred data services conversations across campus.

Conclusions: Conversations continue with [Institution] stakeholders (including the Library) about the best way to meet the needs of researchers on campus as well as centralize and coordinate existing endeavors. Partners in these efforts include the Office of Research, Information Technology Services, [Statistical Support Unit], and various College and Department level units. Select interview findings are also set to be included in the research support section of a campus-wide strategic plan.