2 Existing Library-Campus partnerships
When designing any new initiative such as a Research Data Services program, one trap that many people inadvertently fall into is that of reinventing the wheel or creating unnecessary redundancies. Many instructional designers and program managers have toiled away for months only to have their good intentions upended at the last minute after finding out that someone was already doing the same thing. Taking stock of existing consultations and partnerships with Library personnel and other individuals on campus helps avoid that tragic fate. This proactive step helps make sure you are aware of ongoing services being provided by Library staff that might overlap with your RDS goals, and helps you know who at your Library is already working with researchers and other stakeholders, what types of information is being shared, and where knowledge gaps exist so you can address them.
Collecting and organizing this information does not require you to rely on expensive software or hard-to-understand tools and services. Your goal is to simply gain a solid understanding of what services are already under development and the library staff who might already be providing some of the support you will bring under your formalized RDS program. It’s entirely possible that people have been providing work that would fit within an RDS program without realizing it, and this is the kind of information you will need to know. A good rule of thumb is to look at consultations from the past two to three years that focus on topics such as:
- Data management
- Data storage
- Questions about data repositories or data sharing
- Citing secondary data
- Publishing and data
Your inventory should include researcher names and disciplines, what topics were discussed and whether the librarians were able to provide adequate assistance or if the researcher was referred to another resource. If more expertise has been developed in the interim, describe the specific skills. Any additional information that you think is relevant should be included as well, and you can also add longform descriptions of consultations if it would be beneficial for you and other stakeholders to read sentence- and paragraph-long descriptions.
| Dr. Berhane Dubaku | Anson McCormick | |
| Researcher Name | Orley Weaver | Michael Johnson |
| Date(s) of Consult | August 2020 | May 2021 |
| Topic Discussed | Data management | Research citations |
| Researcher Department | Geology | School of Business |
| Adequately Assisted? | Yes | Partly |
| Computing Resources Required | ||
| Data Storage Platform | ||
| Notes | The consultation took place over the course of four weeks, and Dr. Weaver indicated that he was able to understand and utilize data management tools much more effectively. | Dr. Johnson had not previously used EndNote for his citations, and as a result was having trouble adapting his research workflow to BMU. McCormick offered assistance in the form of Zoom meetings and a one-on-one consultation, but Dr. Johnson did not seem confident in his abilities even after several sessions. |
It can help to gather information by answering some questions as you take stock of existing partnerships between the library and your broader campus community. These questions can give you valuable insight about the types of workshops, programs, and materials you will create in your RDS program to better address the needs of the university community. Some questions to think about are:
- How are the workshops commonly taught? (Face to face, virtual, hybrid, self-paced, etc.)
- How often are training sessions and workshops made available to faculty and staff?
- What software is used for data management at the university?
- What data skills or prerequisites do people need to have in order to advance in their roles as researchers or support?
Answers to questions like these can help you know as much as possible about the current situation on your campus before starting your RDS program, and make sure you are targeting the needs that matter most to your campus community.