Paper – USA: Research information management in the United States 11 November

The Research Information Management in the United States two-part report series provides a first-of-its-kind documentation of RIM practices at U.S research universities that presents a thorough examination of RIM practices, goals, stakeholders and system components.

Research information management (RIM) is a rapidly growing area of investment in US research universities. While RIM practices are mature in Europe and other locales in support of nationalised reporting requirements, RIM practices at US research universities have taken a different—and characteristically decentralised—course. A complex environment characterised by multiple use cases, stakeholders, and systems has resulted.

This report provides a landscape overview of the state of research information management in the United States, makes sense of the complexity, and offers recommendations targeted at University leaders and other institutional decision makers.

The authors hope that the information presented in this report can support library leaders in talking about RIM systems and practices with institutional stakeholders and to advocate for the role of the library in this work.

Part 1—Findings and Recommendations:

This report provides much-needed context for institutional leaders to examine their own local practices by proposing:

• A summary of six discrete RIM use cases
• A RIM system framework
• Recommendations for RIM stakeholders

Part 2—Case Studies:

This companion report offers an in-depth narrative of the RIM practices at five US research institutions:

• Penn State University
• Texas A&M University
• Virginia Tech
• UCLA
• University of Miami