The enduring potential of data: An assessment of researcher data stewardship practices at the University of Victoria

Abstract

Emerging requirements for more responsible and transparent research mandated by granting agencies and scholarly publishers are driving the need for better tools and services to support researchers in managing their research data. Against this backdrop, research libraries across Canada are exploring ways to work collaboratively with research communities to address this need and support the development of robust research data management practices. To understand the diversity of this digital landscape, the University of Victoria Libraries conducted a campus-wide, multidisciplinary investigation involving all ranks of faculty members, post-doctoral fellows, and graduate students. The mixed methods approach taken by this study includes a campus-wide survey, in-depth interviews with researchers, and focus group sessions with librarians, resulting in a dynamic source of quantitative and qualitative data used to explore differences in research data management practices across disciplines, barriers research communities face in sharing their data, and gaps in current infrastructure and supports on campus. With this information, a series of recommendations are provided to inform how the University of Victoria and its Libraries can cohesively bridge research services, infrastructure, and disciplinary fields across campus to improve the support provided to researchers in managing their research data.