An e-mail about the current university-wide research data survey was recently sent to most faculty members at Virginia Tech (specifically, it was sent to Research Faculty and Collegiate, or Teaching & Research, faculty). The survey addresses many aspects of data management, including data sharing, which is receiving increased attention from research funders as well as journals. Open data is important for research integrity, reproducibility, meta-research, and accelerating discovery. Some have gone so far as to say that a peer-reviewed article is just advertising for the important stuff- the data. Yet there are numerous barriers to sharing (many of them quite valid) that we need to understand.
The survey results will help us identify how data are being stored, managed, shared, and reused by faculty at Virginia Tech. It will also help us gain a better understanding of data management needs and attitudes towards data sharing and discovery.
The survey is sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Research and the University Libraries, and administered by the University Libraries. Participation is voluntary and will be recorded confidentially, and no personally identifiable information will be revealed. If you have questions, please contact Yi Shen at yishen18@vt.edu or 540-231-5329.
Helping researchers manage data is a top priority for the University Libraries. Your input is essential to help us serve your needs. If you’ve already completed the survey, thank you. If you haven’t, please take a few minutes to complete it- thanks!
