Cited by 140Research Data Management PracticesLibrary Science and InformationOptics and Image Analysis

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 24 of the 25 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Maturing research data services and the transformation of academic libraries

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Abstract

Purpose: A major development in academic libraries in the last decade has been recognition of the need to support research data management (RDM). The purpose of this paper is to capture how library research data services (RDS) have developed and to assess the impact of this on the nature of academic libraries. Design/methodology/approach: Questionnaire responses from libraries in Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the UK and USA from 2018 are compared to a previous data set from 2014. Findings: The evidence supports a picture of the spread of RDS, especially advisory ones. However, future ambitions do not seem to have seen much evolution. There is limited evidence of organisational change and skills shortages remain. Most service development can be explained as the extension of traditional library services to research data. Yet there remains the potential for transformational impacts, when combined with the demands implied by other new services such as around text and data mining, bibliometrics and artificial intelligence. A revised maturity model is presented that summarises typical stages of development of services, structures and skills. Research limitations/implications: The research models show how RDS are developing. It also reflects on the extent to which RDM represents a transformation of the role of academic libraries. Practical implications: Practitioners working in the RDM arena can benchmark their current practices and future plans against wider patterns. Originality/value: The study offers a clear picture of the evolution of research data services internationally and proposes a maturity model to capture typical stages of development. It contributes to the wider discussion of how the nature of academic libraries are changing.

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Crossref · 10.1108/jd-12-2018-0211

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Citations

Cites

Show all 25 references

Research works printed but not linked: 6

  1. ANDS, 2018, Creating a Data Management Framework
  2. 2017, The Realities of Research Data Management: Part Two: Scoping the University RDM Service Bundle
  3. 2014, The Theory and Practice of Change Management
  4. 2012, Research Methods in Information
  5. 2012, Academic Libraries and Research Data Services: Current Practices and Plans for the Future: An ACRL White Paper
  6. 2015, Big Data, Little Data, no Data: Scholarship in the Networked World

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Metadata

Authors
Cox, A. M., Kennan, M. A., Lyon, L., Pinfield, S., & Sbaffi, L.
Affiliations
  • University of Sheffield (GB)
  • Charles Sturt University (AU)
  • University of Pittsburgh (US)
Corresponding author
Cox, Andrew M.
Venue
Journal of Documentation
Publisher
Emerald
Published
2019-09-26
Volume
75
Issue
6
Pages
1432-1462
ISSN
0022-0418 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2963526428
Cited by
139
References
25
Citations by year
2026: 13 · 2025: 24 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 31 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 15
FWCI
20.24
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Documentation (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, University of York) (acceptedVersion)
  • Charles Sturt University Research Output (CRO) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Research Data Management Practices
  • Social Sciences › Library and Information Sciences › Library Science and Information
  • Social Sciences › Library and Information Sciences › Optics and Image Analysis
Keywords
research data services, research data management, academic libraries, library service development, maturity model, organizational change, text and data mining, bibliometric analysis, artificial intelligence, international comparison of libraries

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