Research data curation at Kenya’s agricultural research institute libraries : opportunities and challenges
Keywords:
research data, research data curation, research data management, research institutes, research librariesAbstract
Research data are valuable resources that need to be curated and managed by research libraries as they are intricate and complex, irreplaceable, expensive, and time-consuming to replicate. However, The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Act No.17 of 2013 does not define how research data generated by the research institutes should be managed resulting in poor mechanisms for data curation and sharing, low-quality research outputs, duplication of research, and poor re-analysis of existing research data. The purpose of this research was to examine how Kenya’s agricultural research institute libraries curate their research data and propose interventions for improvement. The study investigated how Kenya’s agricultural research institute libraries capture, appraise, describe, preserve, and make accessible for the reuse of its research data. The study was underpinned by the Data Curation Centre (DCC) Lifecycle Model. Six of Kenya’s agricultural research institutes were purposely chosen. The study adopted a pragmatism paradigm applying a mixed methods approach and employing a survey design within a multi-case study. The target population was composed of 41 directors of institutes, heads of research, heads of IT, and librarians, and 142 researchers. Quantitative data were collected using questionnaires by simple random sampling of 124 researchers and qualitative data was collected from the remaining respondents numbering 33 using interviews sampled using census. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically while quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS to generate descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings revealed that the Research Data management (RDM) legal framework had not yet been enshrined in the KALRO Act (No.17 of 2013) thus affecting data curation; the Research Data Curation (RDC) policies and regulations were outdated; the institutes did not involve libraries and librarians in coordinating functions of research data curation; the librarians and researchers had inadequate knowledge and skill of handling RDC service; there was limited awareness and advocacy for RDM. The study concludes that RDC services were not adequately managed. The study recommended the establishment of a formal data governance structure to address data curation services, a legislative and policy framework for RDM and data curation, collaboration and participation among librarians and researchers, capacity-building programs, sound technical infrastructure, and incentivization of stakeholders.
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