research support services in academic libraries

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The Electronic Library

ISSN : 0264-0473

Article publication date: 3 June 2019

Issue publication date: 3 June 2019

This paper aims at understanding the current situation of research support services offered by academic libraries in world-leading universities and providing useful implications and insights for other academic libraries.

Design/methodology/approach

Of the top 100 universities listed in the QS World University Rankings in 2017, 76 libraries were selected as samples and a website investigation was conducted to explore the research support services. The statistical method and visualization software was used to generalize the key services, and the text analysis and case analysis were applied to reveal the corresponding implementation.

Research support service has become one of the significant services of academic libraries in the context of e-research and data-intensive research. The research support services can be generally divided into seven aspects, as follows: research data management (62, 81.58 per cent), open access (64, 84.21 per cent), scholarly publishing (59, 77.63 per cent), research impact measurement (32, 42.11 per cent), research guides (47, 61.84 per cent), research consultation (59, 77.63 per cent) and research tools recommendation (38, 50.00 per cent).

Originality/value

This paper makes a comprehensive investigation of research support services in academic libraries of top-ranking universities worldwide. The findings will help academic libraries improve research support services; thus, advancing the work of researchers and promoting scientific discovery.

• Academic libraries
• Research support
• Data-intensive research

Acknowledgements

This paper is one of the research outcomes of the project supported by The National Natural Science Foundation of P.R. China (Project Name: Research on the Formation Mechanism and Service of the Federation of Institutional Research Data Repository in Big Data Environment, Project No. 71573198).

Si, L. , Zeng, Y. , Guo, S. and Zhuang, X. (2019), "Investigation and analysis of research support services in academic libraries", The Electronic Library , Vol. 37 No. 2, pp. 281-301. https://doi.org/10.1108/EL-06-2018-0125

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How Academic Libraries Provide Essential Support for Faculty Research and Teaching

Academic libraries play a vital role in supporting faculty in their research and teaching, offering resources, services, and expert guidance that enhance their academic pursuits and classroom effectiveness. In today’s fast-paced academic environment, faculty face increasing demands to produce impactful research, stay current with scholarly advancements, and deliver engaging, evidence-based teaching. Academic libraries address these needs by providing access to specialized resources, including scholarly journals, research databases, e-books, and institutional repositories, which allow faculty to explore cutting-edge research and incorporate it into their work. When materials are unavailable locally, interlibrary loan services expand access, ensuring that faculty can obtain the resources they need from other institutions.

Beyond access to resources, academic libraries offer tailored support through research consultations, data management services, and guidance on scholarly publishing, including copyright and open-access options. These services help faculty navigate the complexities of data storage, research dissemination, and intellectual property management, empowering them to publish and share their work widely. Additionally, libraries enhance teaching by providing course reserves, Open Educational Resources (OER), and embedded librarian programs, which integrate information literacy into coursework, equipping students with essential research skills. Through these comprehensive services, academic libraries become indispensable partners in faculty success, fostering a collaborative academic environment that supports both scholarship and educational excellence.

Academic libraries are essential partners in faculty research and teaching, offering a wide range of services, resources, and expertise to enhance the quality of scholarship and the student learning experience. Libraries provide access to comprehensive academic resources and support faculty in navigating the complexities of research, data management, publishing, and pedagogy. Here is how academic libraries support faculty in their research and teaching endeavors.

• Scholarly Journals and Databases: Faculty rely on libraries for access to current and archival issues of academic journals and databases covering various disciplines. Many libraries subscribe to subject-specific databases, such as JSTOR for humanities, PubMed for medical research, and IEEE Xplore for engineering, ensuring faculty have the resources to conduct cutting-edge research.
• E-books and Digital Resources: Libraries also offer access to e-books and digital archives, allowing faculty to access materials remotely. This is particularly helpful for online courses, hybrid learning, and research conducted outside campus hours. E-resources make it easy for faculty to integrate relevant readings and materials into their courses and research projects.
• Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Services: When certain materials are unavailable locally, academic libraries provide interlibrary loan services, allowing faculty to borrow books, articles, and other resources from partner institutions. This service is invaluable for accessing rare, niche, or highly specialized materials that may be difficult to find elsewhere. Interlibrary loans expand faculty access to resources, helping them conduct more comprehensive and in-depth research.
• One-on-One Research Consultations: Librarians offer research consultations tailored to faculty needs, helping them refine research questions, conduct systematic reviews, or locate hard-to-find sources. These consultations are particularly useful for large, interdisciplinary, or long-term projects that require extensive planning and specialized knowledge.
• Systematic Reviews and Literature Searches: For faculty involved in health sciences, social sciences, and other data-driven disciplines, libraries support conducting systematic reviews. Librarians can assist with constructing search queries, selecting appropriate databases, and organizing search results, which is crucial for producing reliable, high-quality research.
• Citation and Reference Management: Faculty often handle many citations, and libraries provide access to citation management tools such as EndNote, Zotero, and Mendeley. Librarians offer training on how to use these tools effectively, helping faculty organize their references, manage bibliographies, and ensure accurate citations. These tools are essential for faculty conducting extensive research, making it easier to keep track of sources and streamline the writing process.
• Data Management Planning: Librarians provide guidance on data management best practices, including how to store, organize, and preserve data throughout the research lifecycle. This is particularly important for faculty who work with large-scale datasets or receive funding that requires data management plans, as many grants now mandate clear data-sharing and preservation protocols.
• Institutional Data Repositories: Many academic libraries host institutional repositories where faculty can store and share their research data, ensuring that it remains accessible over time. These repositories support open data initiatives, allowing faculty to contribute to broader knowledge-sharing efforts. Depositing data in repositories also helps meet funding agency requirements for data accessibility and reproducibility, making it easier for others to validate and build upon the original research.
• Copyright, Licensing, and Open Access Guidance: Libraries help faculty navigate copyright issues, ensuring they retain the rights they need to share and reuse their work. Librarians provide guidance on licensing options, such as Creative Commons and open-access publishing, allowing faculty to make their research more accessible without compromising intellectual property rights.
• Support for Institutional Repositories: Many academic libraries maintain institutional repositories where faculty can archive preprints, published articles, and other scholarly outputs. By depositing their work in these repositories, faculty increase the visibility of their research, making it accessible to a global audience and enhancing the institution’s academic reputation.
• Research Metrics and Impact Analysis: Libraries offer tools and services to help faculty assess research impact through citation metrics, journal impact factors, and h-index scores. Librarians provide guidance on using tools like Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Scopus to evaluate the reach of their work. This support helps faculty make informed publishing decisions and track the impact of their research within the academic community.
• Course Reserves and Textbook Access: Libraries offer course reserves where instructors can place textbooks, readings, and multimedia materials for their students. This ensures that all students have access to necessary course materials, which is particularly important for reducing the financial burden on students who cannot purchase textbooks.
• Open Educational Resources (OER) Support: Libraries assist faculty in finding and integrating Open Educational Resources (OER) into their curriculum. OER materials are free to use and adapt, allowing faculty to customize course content without additional costs to students. By incorporating OER into their courses, faculty can provide high-quality educational materials while promoting equity and inclusivity.
• Information Literacy and Embedded Librarian Programs: Libraries work closely with faculty to integrate information literacy into the curriculum, teaching students essential research skills such as evaluating sources, understanding plagiarism, and effective citation. Many libraries offer embedded librarian programs, where a librarian collaborates directly within a course, providing ongoing research support and conducting sessions on topics relevant to students’ assignments and projects. This partnership ensures students receive critical research training, enhancing their academic skills and improving course outcomes.
• Digital Humanities and Data Visualization: Libraries support faculty involved in digital humanities and data visualization, providing access to tools for digital mapping, text analysis, and data visualization. These tools allow faculty to explore research questions in new ways, engage students with interactive materials, and showcase research findings effectively.
• Access to Specialized Software: Many academic libraries offer access to software for data analysis (e.g., SPSS , Stata ), GIS mapping, multimedia production (e.g., Adobe Creative Cloud), and citation management (e.g., EndNote, Zotero). By providing access to these tools, libraries empower faculty to enhance their research and teaching materials with high-quality graphics, data visualizations, and other digital content.
• Archiving Scholarly Work: Faculty can archive published articles, preprints, presentations, and other academic contributions in the institutional repository. This preserves their research, ensures long-term accessibility, and increases visibility within the academic community. Institutional repositories enhance the institution’s scholarly output and make faculty work more accessible to researchers worldwide.
• Long-Term Preservation: Libraries offer archiving solutions for preserving valuable academic materials, such as historical documents, unique datasets, and significant research projects. These resources remain accessible for future scholarship, allowing faculty contributions to serve as foundational resources for ongoing research in their fields.
• Workshops on Research Skills and Publishing: Academic libraries frequently host workshops covering grant writing, academic publishing, data management, and research metrics. These sessions help faculty stay current with academic trends and improve their research productivity.
• Technology and Digital Literacy Training: Libraries offer training on using digital tools, including citation management software, data analysis tools, and digital scholarship platforms. These sessions ensure faculty can use technology effectively in their research and teaching.
• Events and Academic Networking: Many libraries host academic events, lectures, and discussion panels that facilitate networking among faculty across disciplines. These events foster collaboration, encourage interdisciplinary work, and create a supportive academic community.
• Community Engagement and Outreach: Libraries often engage with local communities, offering outreach projects and service-learning opportunities. These programs allow faculty to involve students in real-world applications of their studies and promote the university’s engagement with the wider community.

Academic libraries are indispensable allies for faculty in research and teaching. Through access to specialized resources, data management support, scholarly publishing assistance, and instructional services, libraries empower faculty to advance in their fields and enhance their students’ learning experiences. By providing expertise, technology, and collaborative spaces, academic libraries help faculty achieve their academic goals and make a lasting impact on the academic community.

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