Topic: Digital scholarship and data management
Blog Post
September 15, 2022
Community Reflections on Ithaka S+R’s report about Digital Preservation and Curation Systems
In July 2022, we shared our findings from a broad examination of the digital preservation and curation systems landscape, drawn in part from deep dives into a number of third-party preservation platforms. Along with this research, we’ve held a series of online forums to gather feedback on the report from the community. Here, we synthesize what we heard during five invitation-only and three open webinars with 253 people, including preservation service providers, curation specialists, technologists, and more.
Blog Post
September 6, 2022
Coordinating Research Data Support Services Across Campus
Announcing the Launch of a New Cohort-Based Research and Consulting Project
Data-intensive research methods are used by researchers in a wide and growing number of disciplines and are now central to the research enterprise. As these methods spread, universities are making significant investments in developing campus services to provide critical support for big data research. We are excited to announce a project that will bring together a select cohort of librarians and campus representatives to develop strategies for coordinating campus data support services.
Past Event
September 22, 2022
New Directions in Data Science and Scholarly Publishing
Society for Scholarly Publishing 2022 Seminar
In a session at the Society for Scholarly Publishing’s 2022 Seminar, Ithaka S+R’s Dylan Ruediger will join Rebecca McLeod, Christina Drummond, and Lillian Wang Selonick in a discussion of how organizations can use internal data to improve workflows and staff experience, inform the impact of outputs, activities, and more. The session is scheduled for 11am-12pm on Thursday, September 22 at the seminar, taking place in Washington, DC and virtually. Learn more here.
Past Event
September 29, 2022
Selecting and Implementing Digital Preservation Systems
A Two-Part Workshop Hosted by LYRASIS
In a two-part workshop hosted by LYRASIS and designed for heritage organization staff, Oya Y. Rieger will present strategies for assessing local preservation needs and implementing digital preservation and curation systems and tools, drawing on Ithaka S+R’s recent report, “The Effectiveness and Durability of Digital Preservation and Curation Systems.” The sessions will meet on September 29 at 2-3:30 pm ET and on October 13 at 2-3:30 pm ET. Learn more about the workshop and register here.
Past Event
November 14, 2022
The Effectiveness and Durability of Digital Preservation and Curation Systems
Association of Southeastern Research Libraries Webinar
On November 14 at 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET, Oya Rieger and Roger Schonfeld will share an overview of key findings from a recent Ithaka S+R report on the changing landscape of digital preservation and the sustainability of digital preservation and curation systems, funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Learn more about the event, hosted by the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries.
Blog Post
August 10, 2022
How Can Data Librarians Support Data Communities? Part Two
An Interview with Amanda Rinehart
Data communities provide social and practical incentives for scientists to voluntarily share and reuse data with colleagues. In order for data communities to emerge and grow, they need support. Information professionals, such as data librarians and research computing specialists, can advise data communities on best practices for data sharing and help them create or improve the required infrastructure, such as online repositories and metadata schemas.
Past Event
August 31, 2022
Collaboration Between Researchers and Information Professionals to Promote Data Sharing
Long-term collaborations between research communities and information professionals are relatively rare: yet, the expertise data librarians and other information professionals bring to the table can accelerate FAIR data sharing efforts. Drawing on findings from our recent NSF-funded workshop on promoting data sharing in STEM fields, Ithaka S+R and the Data Curation Network will host "Collaboration Between Researchers and Information Professionals to Promote Data Sharing" on August 31, 2022, from 2:00 - 3:30 pm Eastern. The webinar will bring together information…
Blog Post
August 9, 2022
Sustaining Scientific Data Sharing Communities
Findings from an Incubation Workshop
The sharing of research data is essential to open science, and major funders have made significant investments in building an infrastructure of domain and generalist data repositories to support data sharing. While barriers to data sharing remain a challenge, many communities of researchers actively and voluntarily share and reuse data to advance science in areas of mutual interest. Understanding the successes and challenges these “data communities” face is important to providing support for their evolving needs as they grow, and…
Research Report
August 9, 2022
Leveraging Data Communities to Advance Open Science
Findings from an Incubation Workshop Series
Several recent studies have indicated that large numbers of researchers in many STEM fields now accept the value of openly sharing research data. Yet, the actual practice of sharing data—especially in forms that comply with FAIR principles—remains a challenge for many researchers to integrate into their workflows and prioritize among the demands on their time. In many disciplines and subfields, data sharing is still mostly an ideal, honored more in the breach than in practice.
Blog Post
July 19, 2022
Supporting the Future Discovery and Use of Digital Content
New Report
Regardless of their size, location, or the communities they serve, all heritage organizations are involved in curating digital content, whether that content is born-digital or reformatted from physical materials. There are a range of risks involved in managing this content, including technical malfunctions, media obsolescence, and organizational failures—just to name a few. In light of such threats, digital preservation to enable the discovery, access, and use of content by designated user communities over time…
Research Report
July 19, 2022
The Effectiveness and Durability of Digital Preservation and Curation Systems
In August 2020, with funding from the Institute of Library and Museum Services (IMLS), Ithaka S+R launched an 18-month research project to examine and assess the sustainability of these third-party digital preservation systems. In addition to a broad examination of the landscape, we more closely studied eight systems: APTrust, Archivematica, Arkivum, Islandora, LIBNOVA, MetaArchive, Samvera and Preservica.
Research Report
July 14, 2022
Ithaka S+R US Faculty Survey 2021
The Ithaka S+R US Faculty Survey has tracked the changing research, teaching, and publishing practices of faculty members within higher education triennially since early digital transformation at the turn of the century. This project has aimed to provide actionable findings to help colleges and universities, among other relevant stakeholders such as academic libraries, learned societies, and scholarly publishers, make evidence-based decisions for their planning and strategy.
Blog Post
June 30, 2022
How Can Data Librarians Support Data Communities?
An Interview with Jordan Wrigley
Data communities provide social and practical incentives for scientists to voluntarily share and reuse data with colleagues. In order for data communities to emerge and grow, they need support. Information professionals, such as data librarians and research computing specialists, can advise data communities on best practices for data sharing and help them create or improve the required infrastructure, such as online repositories and metadata schemas. However, research scientists and information professionals rarely have structured opportunities to meet together,…
Blog Post
June 13, 2022
The Library’s Role in Facilitating Users’ Experiences Navigating Computing and Data Services
An Interview with Susan Ivey, Director of the Research Facilitation Service at North Carolina State University
Since 2012, when Ithaka S+R began systematic exploration of the changing needs and practices of researchers, the stunning growth in the accessibility of large datasets and the computing power necessary to work with them has transformed research practices across disciplines. As big data methods have spread, universities have responded by expanding their research support service offerings. Libraries have been the most active players in this space, but many campus units—including information technology offices, research computing centers, and academic…
Past Event
April 13, 2022
Roger Schonfield and Deanna Marcum at RLUK DSF
On April 13, Roger Schonfield and Deanna Marcum will discuss their new book, “Along Came Google: A History of Library Digitization” at RLUK’s Digital Shift Forum. Please the abstract below. The registration information is available here. Abstract The history of library digitization can provide many important lessons for library leaders today. In this session, Deanna Marcum and Roger Schonfeld, authors of the recently published Along Came Google (Princeton University Press), will have a conversation about some of the key…
Past Event
March 28, 2022
Aligning Data Support Services to Researchers’ Needs
Danielle Cooper and Dylan Ruediger at CNI Spring 2022 Membership Meeting
Danielle Cooper and Dylan Ruediger will present on “Aligning Data Support Services to Researchers’ Needs” at the CNI Spring 2022 Membership Meeting in San Diego. About the session As data-intensive research has become the norm in an expanding number of academic fields, universities have adapted by offering a wider range of data support services. Previous research by Ithaka S+R has demonstrated that university libraries have been especially active in this space and are now the largest single…
Past Event
March 17, 2022
Data Support Services Needs in the DIY Era
Dylan Ruediger at the RDAP Summit
On March 17th, from 12:45 – 1:45 PM, Dylan Ruediger will moderate a panel on “Data Support Services in the DYI Era” at the RDAP Summit. For more information about the Summit, please see the RDAP website. Abstract This panel will highlight findings from a recent national study of the research practices of fresearchers working with big data. Our findings suggest that many researchers prefer to learn new skills and tools using internet resources and tutorials rather than…
Blog Post
January 18, 2022
Ithaka S+R is Growing: Join Us!
Over the past few years, the scope and breadth of Ithaka S+R’s work has grown substantially. The Libraries, Scholarly Communication, and Museums program has seen increases in cohort projects that explore critical issues facing libraries; grant funded initiatives focused on digital preservation, higher education in prison, student success, and museum leadership; national surveys of faculty, community college administrators, and archivists; and sponsored work on topics including the health of the research enterprise and diversifying collections. To…
Blog Post
January 12, 2022
Preprints: Their Evolving Role in Science Communication
New Publication
We are pleased to announce the publication of Preprints: Their Evolving Role in Science Communication by Iratxe Puebla and Jessica Polka, both of ASAPbio, and Ithaka S+R’s Oya Y. Rieger. It is part of the Charleston Briefings: Trending Topics for Information Professionals series. This briefing discusses the history and role of preprints—scholarly manuscripts posted by the author(s) to a repository or platform to facilitate open and broad sharing of early work without any limitations…
Blog Post
December 15, 2021
Building Sustainable Data Sharing Communities
Announcing the Participants in an NSF-Funded Incubation Workshop
Across the country and around the world, communities of researchers are voluntarily sharing data across disciplinary and institutional borders. Understanding the motivations, practices, and challenges faced by members of these communities is important to the National Science Foundation (NSF) and other funders seeking to promote and normalize data sharing and reuse. However, questions remain about how to best support data communities as they emerge and mature. Some of the most urgent issues involve documentation,…