Strategies for Reseach Data Management in Federal University Libraries in Northwest Geopolitical Zone, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated management strategies applied to research data in Federal University Libraries in Northwest zone, Nigeria. The objective of the study was to identify management strategies applied by the libraries to research data in the Universities, in terms of data generation, data organization, data storage, and data dissemination. The study was based on the interpretivists’ paradigm and applied qualitative approach that was backed up with narrative research design. The population of the study consisted of the three university libraries using three HODs of research and document units, and University librarians as respondents. Structured interview and document analysis were used as data collection instruments. The study found that policy advocacy, donation/gift, purchase/subscription, appeal to faculties, fellowship among others are the common management strategies applied to research data generation; while repositories, portable storage devices, computers etc. are used for research data organisation and storage; while library/university websites, email, portable storage devices, web 2.0, radio stations among others are basically in use for research data dissemination. The study therefore concludes that libraries should continue to support universities’ efforts to manage their knowledge assets through constant updates to suitable technological platforms. Also more attention should be given to building reliable and sustainable institutional repositories. Finally, the study contributes to policy, practice, society and theory.

Keywords: Research data, Data management, Management strategies, University libraries, Northwest Nigeria.