Implementing Research Data Management Services in a Canadian Context

Abstract

Research data management (RDM) has become an increasingly pressing issue for academic libraries as they strive to assist researchers in addressing new public funding requirements surrounding data dissemination and preservation. Briney, Goben, & Zilinski (2015) reviewed several characteristics of RDM service provision efforts by 206 American research universities. Following a similar methodology, the author reviewed RDM service development within Canadian research universities and compared the results to the American efforts. The  main area requiring development in Canada is the provision of RDM services. Therefore, some current best practices for implementing RDM services were gathered through a literature review. The successful approaches highlighted in the literature include awareness of funder and institutional data policies, reaching out to data service providers on campus and beyond, understanding researcher data management needs and finding RDM champions, implementing research data services strategically, planning for growth in RDM services, marketing the RDM services, and creating incentives to create data management plans and utilize RDM services. Third Place DJIM Best Article Award.