NCSU Libraries’ Research Data Management Services - Fostering Partnerships for Research Engagement and Peer-to-Peer Training

Research data management has become a critical issue for campus researchers, funding agencies, and libraries, who have made substantial investment of time, energy, and resources into support for managing and sharing data.  In the Feb 1, 2016 issue of Library Journal, Will Cross summarizes and highlights the latest in library engagement in research data lifecycle support , including specific contributions of the NCSU Libraries.  As data management programs proliferate, however, assessment of research data services has become a notorious challenge for libraries.

Taking initial steps toward an assessment of our research data management support, Hilary Davis and Will Cross published a peer-reviewed article in the September 2015 special issue of the Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication discussing an audit of the NCSU Libraries’ Data Management Plan Review Service as a “training ground” model.  The aim of the DMP Review service is to serve the dual purpose of developing competencies within our librarians and supporting researchers in their needs to manage, preserve, and share research assets.

In November 2015, Will Cross and Hilary Davis also led a presentation at the Charleston Conference on several frameworks for assessing research data management services based on existing skillsets, externally-facing services, and capacity to support an array of research data services.