Joanna Richardson

Library research support in Queensland: A survey

University libraries worldwide are reconceptualising the ways in which they support the research agenda in their respective institutions. This paper is based on a survey completed by member libraries of the Queensland University Libraries Office of Cooperation (QUL OC), the findings of which may be informative for other university libraries. After briefly examining major emerging trends in research support, the paper discusses the results of the survey specifically focussing on support for researchers and the research agenda in their institutions. All responding libraries offer a high level of research support, however, eResearch support, in general, and research data management support, in particular, have the highest variance among the libraries, and signal possible areas for growth. Areas for follow-up, benchmarking and development are suggested.

New Roles, New Responsibilities: Examining Training Needs of Repository Staff

INTRODUCTION Institutional repositories play a critical role in the research lifecycle. Funding agencies are increasingly seeking an improved return on their investment in research. Repositories facilitate this process by providing storage of, and access to, institutional research outputs and, more recently, research data. While repositories are generally managed within the academic library, repository staff require different skills and knowledge compared with traditional library roles. This study reports on a survey of Australasian institutional repository staff to identify skills and knowledge sets. METHODS Institutional repository staff working at universities in Australia and New Zealand were invited to participate in an online survey which incorporated both open and closed-ended question types. RESULTS The survey found significant gaps in the current provision of formal training and coursework related to institutional repositories, which echoed findings in the United Kingdom, Italy, and the United States. DISCUSSION There is clearly a need for more and varied training opportunities for repository professionals. Repository work requires a specific set of skills that can be difficult to find and institutions will benefit from investing in training and ongoing development opportunities for repository staff. CONCLUSION The data from this study could be used to facilitate staff recruitment, development, training, and retention strategies.

Developing new skills for research support librarians

In recent years, there has been considerable discussion about the key role which university libraries can play by engaging with their research community. As a result libraries are scoping, developing and implementing new roles and service models, especially in the relatively new area of research data. This article explores the specific challenges experienced by a traditional academic librarian at Griffith University as she moved into a new role as a data librarian. It was found that this transition needed to be underpinned by a skills development programme, a mentor/coach and a support network of specialists. The authors then outline some strategies to facilitate this type of role transition, which include investing in a range of training and staff development activities, leveraging existing core librarian capabilities and understanding the researcher perspective. The article concludes with a suggestion that several national organisations will continue to have an important role in supporting librarians as they develop new skills.

Librarians as partners in research data service development at Griffith University

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the evolution to date and future directions in research data policy, infrastructure, skills development and advisory services in an Australian university, with a focus on the role of librarians. Design/methodology/approach – The authors have been involved in the development of research data services at Griffith, and the case study presents observations and reflections arising from their first-hand experiences. Findings – Griffith University’s organisational structure and “whole-of-enterprise” approach has facilitated service development to support research data. Fostering strong national partnerships has also accelerated development of institutional capability. Policies and strategies are supported by pragmatic best practice guidelines aimed directly at researchers. Iterative software development and a commitment to well-supported enterprise infrastructure enable the provision of a range of data management solutions. Training programs, repository support ...

Building an Institutional Discovery Layer for Virtual Research Collections

University libraries are under pressure to ensure that their strategies and services to support researchers are aligned with the parent organizations research goals. Important to researchers are not only research information needs - which necessarily underpin their research - but also the discoverability and accessibility of their own research outputs. While libraries have a history of designing discovery systems, new research paradigms are presenting both challenges and opportunities for libraries to reconceptualise such systems within a broader context. This paper describes a nationally funded Australian university initiative to build a research repository which feeds data into both a national research data service and university library discovery tools. Challenges and benefits are discussed.

Modifying researchers' data management practices: A behavioural framework for library practitioners

Data is the new buzzword in academic libraries, as policy increasingly mandates that data must be open and accessible, funders require formal data management plans, and institutions are implementing guidelines around best practice. Given concerns about the current data management practices of researchers, this paper reports on the initial findings from a project being undertaken at Griffith University to apply a conceptual (A-COM-B) framework to understanding researchers’ behaviour. The objective of the project is to encourage the use of institutionally endorsed solutions for research data management. Based on interviews conducted by a team of librarians in a small, social science research centre, preliminary results indicate that attitude is the key element which will need to be addressed in designing intervention strategies to modify behaviour. The paper concludes with a discussion of the next stages in the project, which involve further data collection and analysis, the implementation of targeted strategies, and a follow-up activity to assess the extent of modifications to current undesirable practices.

A Model for Institutional Infrastructure to Support Digital Scholarship

There is a driving imperative for new knowledge, approaches and technologies to empower scholarship, especially in emerging areas of inquiry. Sources of information now extend beyond the written word to include a wide range of born-digital objects. This paper examines the changing landscape in which digital scholars find, collaborate, create and process information and, as a result, scholarship is being transformed. It discusses the key elements required to build an institutional infrastructure, which will not only support new practices but also integrate scholarly literature into emerging and evolving models that generate true digital scholarship. The paper outlines some of the major impediments in implementing such a model, as well as suggestions on how to overcome these barriers.

Strategies for using ResearchGate to improve institutional research outcomes

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how to help improve a higher education institution’s research profile by using existing resources and existing research outputs. Design/methodology/approach This study was based on quantitative data extracted manually from QS University Rankings-Asia 2016, the 2015 Ranking of Pakistani higher education institutions (HEI) and ResearchGate (RG). Resultant data were loaded into Excel and analyzed in SPSS version 21. Findings The results of this study indicate that, while there is no direct correlation between an institution’s national/international ranking and its respective RG score, there is a tendency for lower-ranked institutions to have a lower RG score. Research limitations/implications This study was limited to data extracted from RG; however, it would be useful to apply the same methodology to other relevant academic scholarly network sites (ASNS). Practical implications This paper has suggested strategies which may be of relevance to those institutions in other countries which are aspiring to lift their national ranking through improved research profiles. Libraries are important contributors to the support of institutional research goals. Originality/value There have been no previous published research studies on either the potential for ASNS to contribute to enhancing research outcomes for Pakistani HEI or the role that libraries could play in supporting these outcomes.

Embedding innovation for scholarly information and research

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on “turning a new page” (TNP), a business improvement initiative undertaken by Scholarly Information & Research (SIR). The aim is to embed innovation and integrate e‐research and library services. SIR is part of the Information Services (INS) division at Griffith University, one of the top research universities in Australia. SIR provides library services, publication support and eResearch services to over 43,000 students and staff at five campuses and online.Design/methodology/approach – TNP combines methods from best practices around continuous improvement, change management and business planning to achieve better alignment operationally and to prioritise potential improvements to services. The focus is on services required in three to five years for the “new generation” of users who will need them.Findings – Existing services were unevenly delivered and resources unevenly distributed. A key initial step is restructuring to collocate similar capabilities a...

A Proposed Model for Ascertaining Regional Needs of Library and Information Science Workers for Continuing Education.

ABSTRACTIn 1983 the Library School at Riverina College of Advanced Education examined the needs of librarians within the region for continuing education programmes. In this paper, definitions of continuing library education are canvassed, and from that base the process adopted in examining needs is outlined. The use of the search workshop strategy formed the basis of gathering together regional librarians to explore needs, resources available to meet the needs, and conditions that should be considered in planning regional continuing education activities. The activities are presented as the basis of a model for groups considering the needs of local professionals in any context.