The UK's Research Information Network (RIN) and library information provider OCLC Research, US, have undertaken a comparative study to investigate information-related support services for researchers in the UK and the US.
The collaborative research project is composed of two separate, but linked, analyses. It identifies and examines information-related support services throughout the lifecycle of the research process. The project's goal is to discover researchers' needs and desires in a small sample of UK and US universities and to identify the significant patterns, intersections, gaps and issues from researchers' points of view, whatever the source of such services.
The study seeks to document the nature and scope of research support services, providing examples of good practice, recommending areas where new practice might emerge, and identifying possible areas and scope for collaboration within and between institutions. Comparing national academic practices is expected to provide evidence and encourage coordination to meet the needs of academic research internationally.
The report seeks to provide librarians and information professionals, research support staff, university administrators, and research funders with a clear and detailed set of conclusions and recommendations about how they might develop their services to meet the needs and aspirations of researchers.
The RIN and OCLC Research contracted Centre for Information Behaviour and Evaluation in Research (CIBER) to undertake the UK sample and Kroll Research Associates for the US sample.
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