Research Data Management (RDM) Needs of Science and Engineering Researchers: A View from Canada

Abstract

Understanding researcher behaviour and workflow is instrumental to developing reflective service. With changes in funding requirements around sharing, preservation and the submission of a data management plan potentially looming, institutions across Canada are engaging with researchers to better understand research data management (RDM) practices and needs. What are the characteristics of the research data produced, and how do researchers manage their data? What are their attitudes towards RDM support services and data sharing? A number of Canadian universities have partnered to survey their respective science and engineering researcher communities, with participating institutions at time of writing including: University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, University of Waterloo, University of Alberta, Queen’s University, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Dalhousie University, and University of Ottawa. These institutions are collaborating to better understand both national and local needs, as well as to generate a richer understanding of disciplinary practices by generating comparative data for cross analysis. In this poster, the project development, results, and future steps will be summarized.