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Adoption of good research data management practices is increasingly important for research teams. Despite the work the research community has done to define best data management practices, these practices are still difficult to adopt for many research teams. Universities all around the world have been offering Research Data Services to help their research groups, and libraries are usually an important part of these services. A better understanding of the pressures and factors that affect research teams may help librarians serve these groups more effectively. The social interactions between the members of a research team are a key element that influences the likelihood of a research group successfully adopting best practices in data management. In this article we adapt the Unified Theory of the Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model (Venkatesh, Morris, Davis, & Davis, 2003) to explain the variables that can influence whether new and better, data management practices will be adopted by a research group. We describe six moderating variables: size of the team, disciplinary culture, group culture and leadership, team heterogeneity, funder, and dataset decisions. We also develop three research group personas as a way of navigating the UTAUT model, and as a tool Research Data Services practitioners can use to target interactions between librarians and research groups to make them more effective.

What are modern best strategies for finding geospatial data?  Despite the increase in volume and variety of spatial data even in the 8 years since we have been writing this column, I still receive …

Dr Lyndsay Grant, School of Education

Objective: This paper compares the pedagogical theory driving current norms towards instruction of novices in both fields, specifically focusing on The Carpentries and ACRL Framework instruction. I identify key areas of difference in theoretical and practical approaches towards education of learners entirely new to a topic, focusing on a choice to pursue constructivist or experiential learning versus providing direct instructional guidance. Methods: Two case studies are explored through the lens of the Dreyfus Model of learning for their theoretical underpinings for engaging novice learners: the ACRL Framework and Carpentries’ Instructor Training. Results: Applying the Dreyfus Model of learning and cognitive load theory shows theoretical benefits to direct instructional guidance over constructivist or minimally guided instruction. Conclusions: The ACRL Framework and Carpentries workshops share teaching goals of creating new mental models and core skills to support future learning, but differ in their pedagogical approaches. For novice learners of information literacy, there may be value in considering a more guided approach. Concrete lesson-planning strategies are proposed. The substance of this article is based upon a poster presented at RDAP Summit 2019.

Sixty percent of 16 to 24 years olds—people raised surrounded by technology—are overwhelmed by data they must read and analyze.