From Coast to Coast: Canadian Collaboration in a Changing RDM Seascape

Abstract

There is power in collaboration. With academic institutions across Canada preparing for possible changes in funding requirements around sharing and preserving data and the submission of data management plans, librarians from a range of small, medium and large Canadian schools are collaborating to survey their researchers to better understand local needs and to generate together a richer understanding of their respective science and engineering research communities. Some of the questions we hope to answer with this endeavour include: What are the characteristics of the research data produced, and how do researchers in different disciplines manage their data? What attitudes towards research data management (RDM) support services and data sharing can be observed? In this paper, results from schools which have already run the survey will be summarized, including an analysis of comparable data. Similarities and differences observed across disciplines and schools will be highlighted. Participating institutions at time of writing include: University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, University of Waterloo, University of Alberta, Queen’s University, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Dalhousie University, University of Ottawa, and McGill University.