Abstract
The promotion of information literacy in the UK higher education research sector has traditionally been the preserve of academic libraries. However, other professional groups have obvious interests in this area, and there is a strong case for providing a framework which enables different parties with a stake in information literacy to work together in order to reach practical objectives. In the UK, a coalition of partners has been set up to provide this collective framework and to provide synergy. This paper sets out the rationale for this approach, sets out the sort of activities that the coalition has fostered since its inception in late 2009 and reflects on whether it might serve as an example for other parts of Europe or for transnational collaborations.
Highlights
Information is the lifeblood of academic research
There is a strong case for greater join-up involving input from and strategic coordination between interested parties beyond the library sector. This is the rationale for the work of an informal coalition of partners, including information professionals, graduate school personnel, data management specialists, research supervisors and researchers, which has been set up to promote the greater cohesion that Mind the Skills Gap called for. This coalition operates through the auspices of a multi-facetted working group on information handling[2] which was set up in November 2009 and in practice meets four or five times a year; this group is facilitated by the Research Information Network, which provides the secretariat and meets the running costs
The coalition has engaged with Digital Curation Centre (DCC) and Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) to oversee the Research Data Management Skills Support Initiative (DaMSSI)[28], co-funded by the Research Information Network (RIN) and JISC, which aims to facilitate the use of tools like the Researcher Development Framework (RDF) and the Seven Pillars in order to help researchers and their institutions to effectively plan data management skills development and training
Summary
The sheer volume of scholarly material, the ceaseless growth in its quantity, the diverse and often complex forms that it takes: these factors create challenges for academic researchers faced with the discovering, accessing, reading, reviewing, manipulating, mining, managing and creating of information (which is taken to include research data) in all its guises Given these challenges, the ability of researchers to handle information is of vital importance. There is a strong case for greater join-up involving input from and strategic coordination between interested parties beyond the library sector This is the rationale for the work of an informal coalition of partners, including information professionals, graduate school personnel, data management specialists, research supervisors and researchers, which has been set up to promote the greater cohesion that Mind the Skills Gap called for. Raising the profile and highlighting the importance of such training in the broader context of professional development for HE researchers at all stages in their careers; Liber Quarterly Volume 21 Issue 2 2012
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
