Roles of librarians as research data managers in academic libraries

Abstract

The study investigated the involvement of librarians in Research Data Management using a quantitative approach. The study examined the perception of librarians on their roles as Research Data Managers in academic libraries, the actual RDM roles performed by academic libraries and how academic libraries could promote research data management within higher education institutions in Nigeria. The study used the quantitative approach and adopted the descriptive survey research design. The population consisted of 87 librarians from six academic libraries in South West Nigeria. A complete enumeration sampling technique was adopted for the study. Six academic libraries were chosen based on specific criteria and interventions relevant to the study. The selected academic libraries were Nimbe Adedipe Library, FUNAAB, FUOYE University Library; Albert Ilemobade Library, FUTA; Hezekiah Oluwasanmi Library, OAU, Kenneth Dike Library, UI, and UNILAG Library. 52 academic librarians participated in the study. Descriptive statistical analysis was used for data analysis. Findings revealed that academic librarians were familiar with the term "Research Data Management (RDM)" and its significance in academic libraries. The research findings reveal that the following activities are predominantly performed by the majority of respondents: assisting researchers with data management plans (DMPs) [42 (80.8%), 0.8077], collaborating with IT departments and other campus units [38 (73.1%), 0.7308] and providing data storage solutions and guidance [31 (59.6%), 0.5962]. Moreover, a significant portion of respondents affirm that integrating RDM services into the broader support framework of the academic library enhances the effectiveness of research data, with a mean (SD) value of 4.1154 (0.64637). The study indicates that there is a foundational understanding of Research Data Management (RDM) within Nigerian academic libraries, but significant gaps remain in terms of fully performing the specific roles and responsibilities of Research Data Managers (RDMs).