Finding out what researchers really, really want from a research data shared service

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The RDSS [Research data shared service] will allow researchers to deposit data for publication, discovery, safe storage, long term archiving and preservation. This raises a whole range of different questions, including:

– What forms of data do researchers have?
– How much data are we talking about?
– Where do they store their data currently?
– Who else needs access to it?
– How long does the data need to be kept?
– What motivates researcher to share their data – or to keep it closed?

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The survey data allows us to draw some broader conclusions on the current state of research data management in the UK:

– The RDSS can fill an important gap – 75% of researchers look first to their institution to preserve their data – but we know a lot of institutions can’t fully meet this need at present. This is where the RDSS can help.
– Access to institutional support for RDM remains low – Only 16% of respondents are currently accessing university RDM support services. This is a twofold challenge: institutions not only need to make appropriate support services available, but also make researchers aware that they exist.
– We are pushing at an open door – 68% of respondents either already share data, or expect to do so in the future. Most of them do so because they believe that research is a public good which should be open to all. We just need to make data-sharing easier.
– We still have a long way to go – Only 40% of respondents currently have a research data management plan, and only 18% follow established metadata standard or guidelines. Delivering change will take time.

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