Description

The way research is undertaken is changing fundamentally with eResearch, the uptake of web technologies and the application of advanced computational techniques. At the same time, rapid changes are underway in scholarly publishing and communication so that research outputs - both articles and data - are available in new and different ways. What does this mean for university libraries in our work to support research? Many university libraries are establishing and populating institutional repositories, undertaking e publishing of university journals and entering the field of research data management and curation with the consequential need for training researchers in data management skills. In addition to considering how these new endeavours integrate with our established roles in supporting research such as liaison librarian services, provision of information resources, current awareness, information literacy training, and document delivery, libraries need to explore what new services and roles we can offer in our universities. We need to consider research support from the researcher's perspective. We need to redevelop partnerships within the university with areas such as the Office of Research, IT Services, and national and international eResearch infrastructure. We need to work collaboratively across university departments to form new teams and develop new skill sets amongst staff to meet the emerging needs of researchers in this greatly changing environment.

The QUT Library has broadened its role in supporting research. In doing so, we saw we needed not only a Library Strategic Plan but a Divisional Research Support Plan. (At QUT the Library is located in a broader support Division with other elements such as IT Services.) The Plan which is for the next three years, encompasses establishing key partnerships in the University, creation of an eResearch Support Service Team including development of a model of support for research data management, Divisional research liaison initiatives, provision and access to information resources, management of the institutional repository and assumption of an expert role in the University a specialist advisor on scholarly communication.

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Apr 22nd, 12:00 AM

eResearch: access and support to university researchers

The way research is undertaken is changing fundamentally with eResearch, the uptake of web technologies and the application of advanced computational techniques. At the same time, rapid changes are underway in scholarly publishing and communication so that research outputs - both articles and data - are available in new and different ways. What does this mean for university libraries in our work to support research? Many university libraries are establishing and populating institutional repositories, undertaking e publishing of university journals and entering the field of research data management and curation with the consequential need for training researchers in data management skills. In addition to considering how these new endeavours integrate with our established roles in supporting research such as liaison librarian services, provision of information resources, current awareness, information literacy training, and document delivery, libraries need to explore what new services and roles we can offer in our universities. We need to consider research support from the researcher's perspective. We need to redevelop partnerships within the university with areas such as the Office of Research, IT Services, and national and international eResearch infrastructure. We need to work collaboratively across university departments to form new teams and develop new skill sets amongst staff to meet the emerging needs of researchers in this greatly changing environment.

The QUT Library has broadened its role in supporting research. In doing so, we saw we needed not only a Library Strategic Plan but a Divisional Research Support Plan. (At QUT the Library is located in a broader support Division with other elements such as IT Services.) The Plan which is for the next three years, encompasses establishing key partnerships in the University, creation of an eResearch Support Service Team including development of a model of support for research data management, Divisional research liaison initiatives, provision and access to information resources, management of the institutional repository and assumption of an expert role in the University a specialist advisor on scholarly communication.