“A major focus of the OCLC Research Library Partnership is engaging partner intuitions around issues facing libraries. An emerging area of interest is research data management and the role that libraries are and could play in this area. OCLC researchers have been exploring this topic for some time, and now the RLP is engaging partner institutions via a series of three Works in Progress webinars and an interest group for further exploration.

The first webinar, Understanding Institutional Research Data Management (RDM) Services, on 2 October will introduce the ways in which RDM services are developing at research universities worldwide and offer a model of RDM services to support discussion and decision making. Led by Senior Research Scientist Brian Lavoie, participants will gain an understanding of the major trends shaping the scholarly record of the 21st century, learn about RDM—a key aspect of today’s scholarly record—and explore examples of how universities are meeting the RDM needs of their faculty and students.

In the second webinar on 13 November, Identifying and Acting on Incentives When Planning RDM Services, Senior Program Officer Rebecca Bryant and Senior Research Scientist Ixchel M. Faniel, will continue to explore the factors influencing institutional decision making when developing resources and support for research data management. They will present an incentives model that shapes local needs and will provide a model for institutions to identify and act on locally relevant incentives, which we believe is essential for optimizing decision making for institutions.

Finally, on 2 December, Acquiring RDM Services for Your Institution will highlight key choices in acquiring RDM services, with an emphasis on the internal/external sourcing decisions, and the importance of partnerships with stakeholders both on campus and beyond. Presenters Bryant and Lavoie will examine how institutions are making decisions about infrastructures, services, and personnel to support local RDM services…”