Researchers’ Perceptions on Research Data Management: A Survey

An Effective Research data management (RDM) practices associated with more benefits particularly in increasing research impact, enabling the data reuse, data preservation and archive for future use. To maintain research integrity, researcher hold the responsivity to practice the effective research data management with data which they have been generate while pursuing research activities, but researcher needs the supports from either libraries or universities to establish proper data management practices. Therefore authors of aimed to conduct an assessment to understand the researcher perceptions, current practices on research data management and their willingness to share data if libraries or universities offer the some support in managing and storing research data. The study undertaken the online survey method to collect the data and it includes 34 researchers’ perceptions on research data generation, various types and formats of research data generated, infrastructure for data storage and archive, practices of research data sharing, awareness on research data repositories etc. The results provided most of researcher generate the research data irrespective of various types & formats, but they are not more aware about proper research data management and sharing though researcher have been preserving research data using offline infrastructure like desktop, pen drives, hard disks, CD/DVDs etc. and most of researcher very much keen to avail under the library support in managing research data. The study helps a better understanding of the current practices and needs of researcher at Central University of Gujarat about research data management and sharing. From the study results author provides suggestions for improve the researcher awareness on research data management by conducting training, consulting, special lectures, seminars and workshops of research data management, sharing, and storage.A survey with simple online questionnaire method was used for this study to collecting the data regarding researchers’ perceptions on research data management in the Central University of Gujarat (CUG). The authors set out to the following questions in online questionnaire: · Have you generated any research data while you are pursuing research activities? · Roughly what kind/ type of research data generated or created while you are pursuing research activities? · What format and volume of research data generated? · Where do you store your research data for future use? · Does the practice of research data sharing exist in your discipline/school/centre/ department? · How important is research data sharing and make available for free access? · Are you aware of any research data repositories? · Do you have submitted your research data to any following research data repositories? · Do you feel that the libraries should offer some support in managing, storing and archiving your research data for future use? Mail communication channel was used to send online questionnaire to the researchers and there were three attempts to get the responses. The study involves the Thirty Four (34) researchers’ responses from various schools and department of Central University of Gujarat. Statistical tools were used to analyse & interpret the collected data from survey method.有效的研究数据管理（Research Data Management, RDM）实践往往伴随多重益处，尤其可提升研究影响力、推动数据复用，以及为未来使用留存并归档研究数据。为维护研究诚信，研究人员需对其在开展研究活动过程中产生的研究数据，践行有效的研究数据管理；但研究人员往往需要图书馆或高校提供支持，以建立规范的研究数据管理流程。因此，本文作者旨在开展一项评估，以了解研究人员对研究数据管理的认知水平、当前实践情况，以及当图书馆或高校为研究数据的管理与存储提供支持时，研究人员共享数据的意愿。 本研究采用线上调查法收集数据，共纳入34名研究人员的反馈，调研内容涵盖研究数据的产生过程、生成的各类研究数据类型与格式、数据存储与归档基础设施、研究数据共享实践、对研究数据仓储（research data repositories）的认知等维度。 研究结果显示，绝大多数研究人员无论数据类型与格式如何，均会产生研究数据，但他们对规范的研究数据管理与共享实践的认知较为匮乏；尽管研究人员已通过桌面设备、U盘、硬盘、CD/DVD等线下基础设施留存研究数据，但多数研究人员十分渴望获得图书馆提供的研究数据管理相关支持。本研究有助于深入了解古吉拉特中央大学（Central University of Gujarat, CUG）研究人员在研究数据管理与共享方面的当前实践与需求。基于研究结果，作者提出如下建议：可通过开展研究数据管理、共享与存储相关的培训、咨询服务、专题讲座、研讨会及工作坊，提升研究人员对研究数据管理的认知水平。 本研究采用简易线上问卷法，针对古吉拉特中央大学（CUG）研究人员对研究数据管理的认知开展数据收集。作者在问卷中设置了如下问题： · 您在开展研究活动期间是否产生过研究数据？ · 您在开展研究活动期间大致生成或创建了哪些类型的研究数据？ · 您生成的研究数据采用何种格式、体量如何？ · 您会将研究数据存储于何处以备未来使用？ · 您所在学科/学院/中心/院系是否存在研究数据共享实践？ · 研究数据共享并实现免费获取的重要性如何？ · 您是否了解相关研究数据仓储？ · 您是否曾将研究数据提交至以下任意研究数据仓储？ · 您是否认为图书馆应为您的研究数据管理、存储与归档提供支持，以满足未来使用需求？ 调研通过邮件渠道向研究人员发送线上问卷，共进行了三次回访以回收有效响应。本研究共纳入来自古吉拉特中央大学各学院与院系的34名研究人员的有效反馈。研究采用统计工具对调研收集的数据进行分析与解读。