We are all e-Researchers now Stéphane Goldstein Head of Programmes, RIN SCONUL-IATUL seminar Wellcome Collection 21 November 2008

Research information: How it was……and how it is now

All research is e-Research… “e-Research refers to the development of, and the support for, information and computing technologies to facilitate all phases of research processes” (definition from JISC) But what research doesn’t use information and computing technologies? Not just about science: increasingly relevant to the arts and humanities

Sharing and collaborating The ‘e’ in e-Research is all about facilitating dissemination, sharing and collaboration… …which, coincidentally, is not far removed from the mission of libraries So libraries and e-research should in theory be complementary But are they in reality?

e-Research needs analysis Survey published in early 2007 under the auspices of the RLUK/SCONUL e-Research Taskforce Survey of nearly 100 information professionals to gauge their awareness of e-Research Subject librarians data librarians/managers repository managers, research support librarians…

A low level of awareness Reasonably high level of awareness regarding IR development/management and open access and publisher agreements Low to very low levels of awareness for just about everything else

e-Research and VREs Over 50% of researchers, and 75% of librarians, believe that VREs will be an important driver of change in libraries… …even though half of researchers across all disciplines have never heard of VREs!

Research data is an interesting proposition… In spite of the above findings, “it is the data management issues around e-research that are of most interest to librarians […]. Many librarians see data curation as a natural extension of their current role.” (RIN/CURL report on Researchers’ Use of Academic Libraries and their Services – April 2007) 63% of librarians believe that managing datasets stemming from e-research should be a core or ancillary role for them in future; 81% see a role as manager of metadata issues (non- technical), developing and managing ontologies Researchers have partly contrasting views: from their perspective, the corresponding percentages are 62% and 49%

…but barely figures in the library landscape In practice, few librarians have been approached by e-researchers with requests to manage data Only 3% of libraries provide formal data curation training to researchers Although 37% provide on-demand advice So could this situation be improved?

Researchers need support At the same time, there is evidence that researchers, faced with the challenge of managing and disseminating their data, are constrained among other things by: Lack of time and resources Lack of experience or expertise Difficulty in making data accessible (metadata issues) Not knowing where to archive the data

An emerging role for libraries? “The library and information science community should have an important role to play in the data science arena, particularly in delivering awareness and understanding of data issues and the importance of good data science and data curation” (The skills, role and career structure of data scientists and curators – Key Perspectives report to JISC, July 2008)

Data librarians This presupposes the emergence of a cadre of data librarians, with a recognised career path Only half a dozen of them at present in the UK Consider the training and supply of data librarians Few library and information science schools currently teach the relevant skills Two key roles for data librarians, both of which can serve to promote e-Research: Training researchers to be more data-aware Adopting a data care role (preservation, archiving, curation)

Other data specialists too Nevertheless, librarians’ role with regard to data is only part of a possible solution Other important (and overlapping) roles: Data creators – researchers with domain expertise who produce data Data scientists – involved varyingly in conceptualisation, creation, access/use, appraisal and selection of data Data managers – responsible for computing facilities, storage and continuing access of data

What next Taking forward the data sharing agenda Major JISC programme focused on infrastructure development Greater effectiveness through shared services: UK Research Data Service feasibility study RIN working in partnership with JISC, RLUK and others to develop an advocacy strategy aimed at encouraging research funders and others to develop capacity, including training

References e-Research needs analysis: RIN/CURL report on researchers’ use of academic libraries and their services: JISC report on the skills, role and career structure of data scientists and curators: lreport.aspx lreport.aspx UK Research Data Feasibility Service: