Research Data Management Framework Report

This document details a current state, opportunity and recommendations for the Council fo New Zealand university Libraries (CONZUL) members to consider when crafting a CONZUL-wide position on research data management (RDM). A Working Group on research data management was established and agreed a series of university-focused benefits to propose a series of solutions that can assist in realising these benefits. Solutions include tangible ‘off the shelf’ products that assist researchers in integrating RDM into their practice, but also cultural solutions like a specific RDM policy framework and a recognition of emerging roles in Librarianship.

Management of information is fundamental to the roles of the librarian, information on academic output should be described for discovery and reuse; RDM extends this notion of information management to research data as a valid and reusable academic output.

Not all solutions need full adoption for benefits to be realised, some solutions may already exist at member institutions, but the working group felt strongly that a significant effort was required to fully realise all benefits. It is highly likely that there is no comprehensive solution to RDM issues and institutions are likely to implement a mixed service profile that is particular to their institutional needs. Any recommendations provided sought to identify where there may be common elements to RDM service provision and how these may be supported.

A series of 10 recommendations were presented to CONZUL