Research data management services in selected public universities in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
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Date
2023
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University of Zululand
Abstract
Research data is thought to be an essential component that assists researchers in forming the foundation of research output. To increase the amount of reproducibility in research data, the data should be accompanied by extensive documentation, making it more accessible and secure. As a result of the current digital world and the resulting explosion of multidisciplinary research data, Research Data Management (RDM) comes into play. The current study aimed to investigate research data management services in selected public universities in South Africa, particularly those based in KwaZulu-Natal province. This study was underpinned by the issue of varying cultures between disciplines or departments, as well as a lack of skills and infrastructure, as major challenges impeding the provision of RDM services in most higher education institutions. In terms of theoretical foundation, this study used the Community Capability Model Framework (CCMF) in conjunction with the Digital Curation Centre (DCC) Lifecycle Model.
The study used both qualitative and quantitative methodologies and followed the post-positivist paradigm. As research methods, both qualitative and quantitative case studies were used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted online via Teams and Microsoft Teams with 23 study participants (Librarians, Library Technicians, Research Directors, Deans / Deputy Deans Research, Deputy Vice-Chancellors Research, and Heads of Departments) to collect qualitative data during the COVID-19 pandemic. To collect quantitative data, questionnaires were converted into Google forms and emailed to 30 NRF-rated researchers.
The findings of this study revealed that participating institutions (University of Zululand- UZ, and Durban University of Technology- DUT) are still in the early stages of providing RDM services, as (UNIZULU) has a planning department that has begun RDM in the institution, though it is not widely known, and (DUT) RDM service provision is in the pipeline, as its RDM policy is still at the draft stage. However, as regards research activities, both institutions support data creation, storage, preservation, sharing, access, use, and re-use. Both institutions also support grant applications and collaborative research as research-related activities and data services, as well as RDM and data citation. DSpace and DUT Open Scholar are institutional repositories (IRs) that are used to permanently store, manage, and archive research data such as journal articles, conference proceedings, theses, and dissertations. Unfortunately, most researchers are unaware of how long their institutions keep research data. The findings also reveal that the majority of researchers store and backup their research data on personal computers, emails, and external storage devices like USBs, external hard drives, and CDs. The RDM service is important for new researchers because it promotes research visibility, data sharing, data storage and availability for researchers, data use and re-use. Research supervisors have the potential to assist emerging researchers in locating and publishing in reputable journals. Furthermore, data sharing contributes significantly to increasing the impact and visibility of research, promoting scientific inquiry and debate, and fostering new collaborations between data users and data creators.
Knowledge and skills in data management, research methodology, data curation, metadata skills, and technical skills were overemphasised as truly necessary RDM competency requirements for both staff and researchers. Fortunately, most researchers understand the importance of ethics such as citation, data sharing, data analysis, searching and retrieval, and data capture. They are, however, lacking in data management and organisation, database development, data curation and re-use, and software skills. Short RDM courses, workshops, and professional body training are all practices that could be used in institutions to develop RDM skills. Furthermore, because the vast majority of study participants had not received RDM training at their institutions, data archiving and curation training are required.
The findings of the study further reveal that UNIZULU currently does not have an RDM policy that facilitates research data management, whereas DUT has a research data management policy that is still in the draft stage. In terms of infrastructure or resources, the findings revealed that UNIZULU lacks resources and well-equipped staff to provide RDM services, whereas the DUT library has adequate resources; however, whether additional resources are to support RDM practices in their institution will be determined by the actual implementation of RDM. However, teaching and research findings at DUT revealed a lack of adequate infrastructure as well as a lack of human resources or capital. There are currently no specific capacity-building programs or strategies for developing RDM skills in the institutions studied. A lack of resources or infrastructure, skilled personnel, getting researchers on board, and adoption, which is about getting people to adopt the institution's culture of managing research data, were cited as major challenges in providing the RDM service. RDM challenges may be addressed through training, workshops, and institutional policies and procedures. Finally, as viable options for developing an RDM framework for South African public universities, the study suggests RDM policy formulation, a collaboration between universities and relevant stakeholders, and a responsible group or body such as NRF and StatsSA.
This study's originality and novelty stems from its scope, subject matter, and application. The study's findings can be widely used in research, teaching, and learning. Furthermore, the study can possibly inform RDM strategy and policy in South Africa and even elsewhere.
Description
Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy on Information Science in the Department of Information Studies at the University of Zululand, South Africa [2023].