Research Computing Services Needs Survey Created for the Faculty Senate by the Computers Users Committee

Rationale UMass Dartmouth: – Carnegie Doctoral status by 2012 – Emphasis on faculty research – New junior faculty on the tenure track – New graduate level programs – Increasing numbers of graduate students – Limited resources in support of research computing

Understanding Research Computing Needs Request from Vice Chancellor Green for information on research computing needs CUC/CITS collaborated on survey design

Purpose “to assess the computer services needs of faculty related to research” 1 To provide a basic understanding of research computing needs – Not intended to be a comprehensive analysis 1 CUC Minutes, April 8, 2005

Methodology Online survey consisting of multiple choice and open ended questions Participation solicited by to all faculty and librarians

Survey - Part One Demographic information about respondents including academic council, years at UMassD, academic rank, and description of current scholarly activity

Survey - Part Two Questions regarding the following: 1) The Importance of Collaboration Tools 2) Data Sets 3) High Performance Computing 4) Methodological & Statistical Support Services 5) Survey Tools and Support Services 6) Research Software 7) Data Storage 8) Research Lab Computing Support 9) Advanced Research Wide Area Networking 10) Software Development 11) Other Research Computing Service Needs

SURVEY ANSWER SCALE NI = NOT IMPORTANT SI = SOMEWHAT IMPORTANT MI = MODERATELY IMPORTANT VI = VERY IMPORTANT CI = CRITICALLY IMPORTANT NA = NO ANSWER

Results: Nursing “High Performance Computing” is important. “Methodological and Statistical Support Services” is important.

Results: Social Sciences Respondents expressed a need for “Data Sets” such as ICPSR. Social Sciences find it important to have “Survey Tools and Support Services”. 55% of Social Science faculty state that “Research Lab Computing Support” is very important or critically important.

Results: Science and Engineering “Data Storage and Retrieval Services” are very important for Engineering faculty. 53% of Science faculty find “Research Lab Computing Support” is at least very important. 73% of respondents said “Research Software” is very important or critically important. The highest demand (53%) for “Software Development” is from Science faculty.

Results: Business Demand for “Data Sets” and “Research Software” such as Matlab, SPSS, STATA and ICPSR, SDC Platinum Need for “Methodological and Statistical Support Services”

Results: CVPA Some respondents expressed a need for “High Performance Computing” as well as “Research Laboratory Computing Support.” There is a need for photo editing software such as Photoshop

Results: Humanities “Data Storage and Retrieval Services” is very important to some Humanities’ faculty. Some faculty expressed a need for full-text online journals.

Results: General Finding The highest demand is for “Research Software.” More than 50% of respondents indicated that this was either very important or critically important. For example, respondents listed math and statistical software such as Matlab, SPSS and Stata.

Conclusions One size doesn’t fit all. Research computing needs vary among academic councils. Actively inform faculty about the available licensed and open source software. Examine aspirant institutions and determine how they meet research computing needs.