TITLE:
Research Data Management in China: Can Librarians Bring a Paradigm Shift?
AUTHORS:
Isidore Komla Zotoo, Guifeng Liu, Zhangping Lu, Frank Kofi Essien
KEYWORDS:
Research Data Management, Stakeholders, Librarians, Relationship, Stakeholders’ Relationship
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.9 No.2,
February
14,
2022
ABSTRACT: Research data management (RDM) practices in China are underdeveloped despite the release of RDM policy on 2nd April 2018 and research to unearth these challenges cannot be overemphasized. The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship among critical stakeholders in RDM specifically from librarians’ perspective to speed up the RDM agenda for maximum benefit. This study used Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to study the relationship among critical stakeholders in RDM. The findings revealed that the relationships among different stakeholders are significantly positive, and that institutions mediate the positive effect of Librarian on researchers’ work. The effect of government on librarians is not significant. This later finding may be largely due to the poor attitudes of government towards the librarians, however, there could be a positive mediating effect rather than direct. This means that the librarians could bring a paradigm shift in RDM. Librarians should take a leadership role in RDM and should be involved in decision making. This could be the way forward to change the status quo in RDM. This study contributes to the discourse by helping to strengthen the existing relationship and also to understand the role of librarians in RDM.