Abstract
Data is a by-product of the research process where published results are the output. More and more research institutes are getting interested in this by-product. Data could be in the form of statistics, experimental results, observational data, interview recordings, etc. Organizing the varied forms of data is a challenge for any institute. This is particularly so in the present scenario of constantly changing technologies for data storage and retrieval. The funding agencies are making it mandatory to archive these datasets so that these can be preserved for the posterity and / or re-used by others. Libraries, as a part of the research institutes, seem to be well equipped to organize and manage these datasets. The author undertook the present study to find the level of involvement of libraries in ‘data management’ in India. A survey was done to assess the awareness about data curation, data archival policies, infrastructure required, technologies used, etc. The survey sample consisted of 15 national research / academic institutes in India. The study showed that libraries’ role in data management in research / academic institutes was still at a very early stage of development in India.
Highlights
Research data management (RDM), sometimes known as research data curation, essentially involves collecting and organising data which is part of the research outcome in such a manner so as to facilitate easy access and re-use
Any endeavour to share that data will depend on the trust they have with the RDM unit
Other key issues to consider are the cost of RDM, including infrastructure, persuading the scientists to deposit their data for preservation and sharing, and convincing the management that their information handling skills are relevant for data curation
Summary
Research data management (RDM), sometimes known as research data curation, essentially involves collecting and organising data which is part of the research outcome in such a manner so as to facilitate easy access and re-use. Research data covers a broad range of types of information like documents, spreadsheets, field notebooks, diaries, audio tapes, video tapes, images, spectra, models, algorithms, scripts, protocols, workflows, software, standard operating procedures, methods, etc. Research data can be defined as “the recorded factual material commonly accepted in the scientific community as necessary to validate research findings” [2]. It does not include preliminary analysis, drafts of scientific papers, and plans of future research, peer reviews, communication with colleagues, trade secrets, commercial information, personnel and medical information. Research data management includes record management of items like project files, grant applications, ethics applications, technical reports, research reports, signed consent forms, correspondence regarding these matters
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