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Introduction
Advances in information and communication technology are dramatically changing the views taken in scientific production and data distribution, fostering new ways to conduct research and scholarly communication in the context of an open ecosystem. With the ongoing data deluge, the issue of how to handle the vast outpouring of scientific data becomes of paramount importance (Hey and Trefethen, 2003). The network environment and open science are about to be transformed by the availability of data-driven science (Heidorn, 2011), triggering the library’s roles in supporting the researchers in various activities of research data management (RDM), as many academic disciplines are getting more involved with large-size and digital format data (Scaramozzino et al., 2012). According to Whyte and Tedds (2011), RDM “concerns the organisation of data, from its entry to the research cycle through to the dissemination and archiving the valuable results” (p. 1). While most empirical studies on RDM services use a similar set of definitions by Cox and Pinfield (2014), RDM consists of several different activities and processes associated with the data lifecycle, involving creation, storage, security, preservation, retrieval, sharing and reuse, all while taking into account technical capabilities, ethical considerations, legal issues and governance frameworks.
As well-managed research data allow reliable verification of results and enable data sharing among the wider research community, it is important to have an effective data management practice. According to Si et al. (2015), good data management throughout the life cycle of research will not only save researchers’ time but also contribute to ensuring the integrity of data, and making the data easily understandable to people uninvolved in the project. It also enables the sharing of data within and across disciplines, providing background and evidence for research and encouraging data citation to increase the impact of the research. In the context of academic libraries, by practicing data management, libraries may embed themselves into scholarly communication and remain relevant to research, strengthening the relationship with the campus community.
Even though there is growing momentum in RDM, the level of success in implementing and providing RDM services at various data-intensive organisations has not been consistent (Tang and Hu, 2019). The range and level of maturity of RDM activities may reflect the current and planned research data services (RDSs) and...