International survey of academic library data curation practices

INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF
ACADEMIC & RESEARCH LIBRARY
DATA CURATION PRACTICES, 2019
Edition

©2018 Primary Research Group Inc.
ISBN 978-157440-553-8


International Survey of Academic & Research Library Data Curation Practices, 2019 Edition

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International Survey of Academic & Research Library Data Curation Practices, 2019 Edition
Table of Contents
THE QUESTIONNAIRE .......................................................................................................................................... 16
PARTICIPANTS LIST ......................................................................................................................................... 23
Characteristics of the Sample ........................................................................................................................ 24
Summary of Main Findings ............................................................................................................................ 25
How many, if any, full time equivalent positions at your library are dedicated largely to
data management?........................................................................................................................................ 25
Over the past two years has the amount of total staff time spent on data management
issues by your library to increase, decrease or stay about the same? ...................................... 25
Over the next two years do you expect the amount of total staff time spent on data
management issues by your library to increase, decrease or stay about the same? .......... 25
Does the library offer faculty advice on how to develop data management plans for grant
proposals, journal publisher requirements or for personal use?............................................... 25
Does the library have any series of tutorials, seminars, classes, videos or other formal
means to train faculty in data manipulation, storage or management? .................................. 26
One on one tutorials ................................................................................................................................ 26

Formal classes ........................................................................................................................................... 26
Workshops or seminars ......................................................................................................................... 26
Videos or web-based tutorials ............................................................................................................ 26
LibGuides ..................................................................................................................................................... 27
Other activities .......................................................................................................................................... 27
Please describe in detail the library's best attended class, seminar and/or most used
video or tutorial on data management issues .................................................................................... 27
Does the university library offer a class or other specialized training in how to develop a
DMP (data management plan) for the US National Science Foundation or other national
body for countries other than the USA? ............................................................................................... 27
How strong is demand from your library patrons for data curation services from the
library? .............................................................................................................................................................. 27
Which phrase best describes the coordination of data services offered by entities on your
campus such as academic departments especially in engineering and the hard sciences,
the Library, Information Technology, Office of Research and other centers concerned
with data management. .............................................................................................................................. 27
In addition to the library what other departments or entities have devoted significant
resources to data management issues? ................................................................................................ 28
Does the library offer training to faculty, students or other library patrons in any of the
following statistical or science-related applications? ..................................................................... 28
Excel .............................................................................................................................................................. 28
R ...................................................................................................................................................................... 28
Python ........................................................................................................................................................... 28
SPSS ............................................................................................................................................................... 29
Other programs ......................................................................................................................................... 29
Library role in statistical package training ......................................................................................... 29
Percentage of the research data projects that the library customarily deals with that
concern human subjects or are otherwise sensitive and confidential and require strict
distribution monitoring .............................................................................................................................. 29
Does the library encourage the deposit into institutional digital repositories data sets

connected to or used for scholarly articles but which might not appear in the
publications themselves? ........................................................................................................................... 29
About what percentage of data intensive scholarly articles deposited into your
institution's digital repository or subject specific repositories are accompanied for
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International Survey of Academic & Research Library Data Curation Practices, 2019 Edition
deposit by data sets that may not themselves appear verbatim in the articles themselves?
.............................................................................................................................................................................. 30
Does your data services unit utilize some form of request management system that
records and tracks data services requests by library patrons? .................................................. 30
If your library has such a request management system please describe it below. ............. 30
At your institution, for those scholars whose work requires data housing and
preservation, what percentage seek out the library to perform these functions vs. using
other data storage? ....................................................................................................................................... 30
Most common file formats used by researchers ............................................................................... 31
Rate the extent of the library role in the following data management issues ....................... 31
Discovering data set databases ........................................................................................................... 31
Developing metadata for data sets in institutional or departmental repositories ......... 31
Archiving or housing data sets or related data databases ....................................................... 31
Assuring compliance with grant data management requirements ...................................... 32
Training researchers to use statistical, mathematical or scientific software ................... 32
Training researchers in data visualization techniques ............................................................. 32
Library role in training academics in overall research data curation and management
......................................................................................................................................................................... 32
Has the library ever received an external grant to support activities in data curation?... 32
Describe some of the practices that your library follows in developing metadata practices
for the proper classification and recall of data sets ......................................................................... 33
About what percentage of the total staff time that your library spends on data

management issues would you say is accounted for by the development of metadata and
other cataloging issues?.............................................................................................................................. 33
Which institutions do you most admire for their data curation efforts? ................................ 33
Table 1.1 How many, if any, full time equivalent positions at your library are dedicated
largely to data management? ........................................................................................................................ 34
Table 1.2 How many, if any, full time equivalent positions at your library are dedicated
largely to data management? Broken out for public and private universities .......................... 34
Table 1.3 How many, if any, full time equivalent positions at your library are dedicated
largely to data management? Broken out by Carnegie class or type of institution ................. 34
Table 1.4 How many, if any, full time equivalent positions at your library are dedicated
largely to data management? Broken out by enrollment ................................................................... 34
Table 1.5 How many, if any, full time equivalent positions at your library are dedicated
largely to data management? Broken out by tuition, $ ....................................................................... 35
Table 1.6 How many, if any, full time equivalent positions at your library are dedicated
largely to data management? Broken out for universities with and without a distinct line
item in the library budget for data curation............................................................................................ 35
Table 2.1 Over the past two years has the amount of total staff time spent on data
management issues by your library to increase, decrease or stay about the same? ............... 36
Table 2.2 Over the past two years has the amount of total staff time spent on data
management issues by your library to increase, decrease or stay about the same? Broken
out for public and private universities ...................................................................................................... 36
Table 2.3 Over the past two years has the amount of total staff time spent on data
management issues by your library to increase, decrease or stay about the same? Broken
out by Carnegie class or type of institution ............................................................................................. 36
Table 2.4 Over the past two years has the amount of total staff time spent on data
management issues by your library to increase, decrease or stay about the same? Broken
out by enrollment .............................................................................................................................................. 37
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International Survey of Academic & Research Library Data Curation Practices, 2019 Edition
Table 2.5 Over the past two years has the amount of total staff time spent on data
management issues by your library to increase, decrease or stay about the same? Broken
out by tuition, $ ................................................................................................................................................... 37
Table 2.6 Over the past two years has the amount of total staff time spent on data
management issues by your library to increase, decrease or stay about the same? Broken
out for universities with and without a distinct line item in the library budget for data
curation.................................................................................................................................................................. 37
Table 3.1 Over the next two years do you expect the amount of total staff time spent on
data management issues by your library to increase, decrease or stay about the same? ..... 38
Table 3.2 Over the next two years do you expect the amount of total staff time spent on
data management issues by your library to increase, decrease or stay about the same?
Broken out for public and private universities ...................................................................................... 38
Table 3.3 Over the next two years do you expect the amount of total staff time spent on
data management issues by your library to increase, decrease or stay about the same?
Broken out by Carnegie class or type of institution ............................................................................. 38
Table 3.4 Over the next two years do you expect the amount of total staff time spent on
data management issues by your library to increase, decrease or stay about the same?
Broken out by enrollment .............................................................................................................................. 39
Table 3.5 Over the next two years do you expect the amount of total staff time spent on
data management issues by your library to increase, decrease or stay about the same?
Broken out by tuition, $ ................................................................................................................................... 39
Table 3.6 Over the next two years do you expect the amount of total staff time spent on
data management issues by your library to increase, decrease or stay about the same?
Broken out for universities with and without a distinct line item in the library budget for
data curation........................................................................................................................................................ 39
Table 4.1 Does the library offer to faculty advice on how to develop data management plans
for grant proposals, journal publisher requirements or for personal use? ................................ 40
Table 4.2 Does the library offer to faculty advice on how to develop data management plans
for grant proposals, journal publisher requirements or for personal use? Broken out for

public and private universities ..................................................................................................................... 40
Table 4.3 Does the library offer to faculty advice on how to develop data management plans
for grant proposals, journal publisher requirements or for personal use? Broken out by
Carnegie class or type of institution ........................................................................................................... 40
Table 4.4 Does the library offer to faculty advice on how to develop data management plans
for grant proposals, journal publisher requirements or for personal use? Broken out by
enrollment ............................................................................................................................................................ 40
Table 4.5 Does the library offer to faculty advice on how to develop data management plans
for grant proposals, journal publisher requirements or for personal use? Broken out by
tuition, $................................................................................................................................................................. 41
Table 4.6 Does the library offer to faculty advice on how to develop data management plans
for grant proposals, journal publisher requirements or for personal use? Broken out for
universities with and without a distinct line item in the library budget for data curation .. 41
Table 5 Does the library have any series of

37.50%

25.00%

33.33%

22.22%

11.11%

22.22%

11.11%

0.00%

International Survey of Academic & Research Library Data Curation Practices, 2019 Edition

Table 16.7.4 Rate the extent of the library role in training academics in overall
research data curation and management Broken out by enrollment
Enrollment

No
Answer

Library
plays a
major role

Library
plans a
role

Library
plays little
role

Library
plays no
role

14.29%

Library

plays a
modest
role
0.00%

Less than
2000
2000-10000
More than
10000

14.29%

14.29%

28.57%

28.57%

12.50%
14.29%

25.00%
14.29%

12.50%
14.29%

0.00%
28.57%

12.50%
28.57%

37.50%
0.00%

Table 16.7.5 Rate the extent of the library role in training academics in overall
research data curation and management Broken out by tuition, $
Tuition, $

No Answer Library
plays a
major role

Library
plans a
role

Library
plays little
role

Library
plays no
role

0.00%

Library

plays a
modest
role
20.00%

Less than
10000
1000023999
2400050000
More than
50000

0.00%

20.00%

40.00%

20.00%

16.67%

16.67%

16.67%

16.67%

0.00%

33.33%

40.00%

20.00%

20.00%

0.00%

20.00%

0.00%

0.00%

16.67%

16.67%

0.00%

33.33%

33.33%

Table 16.7.6 Rate the extent of the library role in training academics in overall
research data curation and management Broken out for universities with and without
a distinct line item in the library budget for data curation
Is there a

distinct line
item in your
library
budget for
data
curation?
Yes
No

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No
Answer

Library
plays a
major role

Library
plans a
role

Library
plays a
modest
role

Library
plays little
role

Library
plays no
role

33.33%
10.53%

33.33%
15.79%

0.00%
15.79%

0.00%
10.53%

33.33%
21.05%

0.00%
26.32%


International Survey of Academic & Research Library Data Curation Practices, 2019 Edition

Table 17.1 Has the library ever received an external grant to support
activities in data curation?
Entire sample

No Answer
18.18%

Yes
13.64%

No
68.18%

Table 17.2 Has the library ever received an external grant to support
activities in data curation? Broken out for public and private
universities
Your college is:
Public
Private

No Answer
15.38%
22.22%

Yes
7.69%
22.22%

No
76.92%
55.56%

Table 17.3 Has the library ever received an external grant to support
activities in data curation? Broken out by Carnegie class or type of

institution
The Carnegie Class of
your college might
best be described as:
Community or 4-year
college
MA/PHD level college
Research University

No Answer

Yes

No

0.00%

40.00%

60.00%

0.00%
44.44%

0.00%
11.11%

100.00%
44.44%

Table 17.4 Has the library ever received an external grant to support
activities in data curation? Broken out by enrollment
Enrollment
Less than 2000
2000-10000
More than 10000

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No Answer
14.29%
12.50%
28.57%

Yes
28.57%
0.00%
14.29%

No
57.14%
87.50%
57.14%


International Survey of Academic & Research Library Data Curation Practices, 2019 Edition

Table 17.5 Has the library ever received an external grant to support
activities in data curation? Broken out by tuition, $
Tuition, $

Less than 10000
10000-23999
24000-50000
More than 50000

No Answer
0.00%
33.33%
40.00%
0.00%

Yes
0.00%
16.67%
0.00%
33.33%

No
100.00%
50.00%
60.00%
66.67%

Table 17.6 Has the library ever received an external grant to support
activities in data curation? Broken out for universities with and
without a distinct line item in the library budget for data curation
Is there a distinct line
item in your library
budget for data
curation?

Yes
No

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No Answer

Yes

No

33.33%
15.79%

33.33%
10.53%

33.33%
73.68%


International Survey of Academic & Research Library Data Curation Practices, 2019 Edition

Broken out by Carnegie Class
Community or 4-year college
1) Postdoctoral position (CLIR)
2) Not sure, grant was already ongoing when I was hired.
MA/PHD level college
1) 0
Research University

1) NA
2) We received a grant from JISC to set up a pilot data service in 2011-2013.

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International Survey of Academic & Research Library Data Curation Practices, 2019 Edition

Describe some of the practices that your library follows in developing
metadata practices for the proper classification and recall of data
sets. Broken out by Carnegie Class
Community or 4-year college
1) Very limited based on consultations for projects that are directly asked for by
researchers.
2) We use domain-specific controlled vocabularies whenever possible. We tend to submit
data to external repositories, so we follow whatever metadata standards are set by the
repository.
MA/PHD level college
1) The library uses DSpace for its institutional repository. Metadata uses Dublin Core. The
University Archives further applies the DACS standard to unpublished materials while
the Cataloging dept applies library standards.
2) unknown
Research University
1) Data deposited in the IR is un-mediated and self-described by the submitter. We are
currently revising our descriptive practices for datasets acquired through preservation
workflows.
2) none
3) NA
4) Require a description of the data set; require a basic README file describing the data
files; require a codebook with variable definitions; use a modified Dublin Core metadata

schema for discovery in the institutional repository
5) We provide guidance through Libguides on how to complete a dataset record in our
institutional data archive and run an annual workshop on how to archive data. We also
work closely with all researchers depositing their data into the archive and provide
bespoke support on how to improve the quality of the metadata. Our institutional data
policy supports these activities and requires that data access statements are included in
associated articles. We also include example data citations in the library's referencing
guides.

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International Survey of Academic & Research Library Data Curation Practices, 2019 Edition

Table 18.1 About what percentage of the total staff time that your
library spends on data management issues would you say is
accounted for by the development of metadata and other cataloging
issues?
Entire sample

Mean
7.38

Median
5.00

Minimum
0.05

Maximum

25.00

Table 18.2 About what percentage of the total staff time that your
library spends on data management issues would you say is
accounted for by the development of metadata and other cataloging
issues? Broken out for public and private universities
Your college is:
Public
Private

Mean
9.20
4.35

Median
5.00
3.00

Minimum
1.00
0.05

Maximum
25.00
10.00

Table 18.3 About what percentage of the total staff time that your
library spends on data management issues would you say is
accounted for by the development of metadata and other cataloging
issues? Broken out by Carnegie class or type of institution

The Carnegie
Class of your
college might
best be described
as:
Community or 4year college
MA/PHD level
college
Research
University

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Mean

Median

Minimum

Maximum

5.03

5.03

0.05

10.00

4.00

4.00

3.00

5.00

10.25

7.50

1.00

25.00


International Survey of Academic & Research Library Data Curation Practices, 2019 Edition

Table 18.4 About what percentage of the total staff time that your
library spends on data management issues would you say is
accounted for by the development of metadata and other cataloging
issues? Broken out by enrollment
Enrollment
Less than 2000
2000-10000
More than 10000

Mean
0.05
6.00

10.25

Median
0.05
5.00
7.50

Minimum
0.05
3.00
1.00

Maximum
0.05
10.00
25.00

Table 18.5 About what percentage of the total staff time that your
library spends on data management issues would you say is
accounted for by the development of metadata and other cataloging
issues? Broken out by tuition, $
Tuition, $
Less than
10000
10000-23999
24000-50000
More than
50000

Mean

5.00

Median
5.00

Minimum
5.00

Maximum
5.00

10.25
3.00
5.03

7.50
3.00
5.03

1.00
3.00
0.05

25.00
3.00
10.00

Table 18.6 About what percentage of the total staff time that your
library spends on data management issues would you say is
accounted for by the development of metadata and other cataloging

issues? Broken out for universities with and without a distinct line
item in the library budget for data curation
Is there a
distinct line item
in your library
budget for data
curation?
Yes
No

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Mean

Median

Minimum

Maximum

1.00
8.29

1.00
5.00

1.00
0.05

1.00

25.00


International Survey of Academic & Research Library Data Curation Practices, 2019 Edition

Which institutions do you most admire for their data curation efforts?
Broken out by Carnegie Class:
Community or 4-year college
1) Purdue, University of Michigan,
2) Not aware of any.
3) University of Wisconsin-Milwaukie, University of Oregon
4) Cornell
MA/PHD level college
1) UK Data Service TU Delft
2) DCC, Purdue, U of Minnesota,
3) unknown
Research University
1) U. Michigan; Johns Hopkins; Cornell; Penn State
2) University of Hopkins Oxford University Library of Congress
3) UK Data Archive
4) University of Minnesota, University of Michigan, Cornell University, UC San Diego,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Duke University
5) We refer frequently to the UK Data Service, which isn't an institution, but provides
amazing high quality support.

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