An evolving research data policy landscape: Reflections on an academic library’s place

Policies communicate expectations to stakeholders, codify legal and administrative procedures, and espouse underlying values. However, often moving from policy to actual practice requires interpretation, the development of new procedures, and has various resource implications. In the United States, the federal government has been expanding policies related to the management and sharing of research data with the NIH Data Management and Sharing policy in effect as of January 2023 and other agencies developing and revising policies in response to the recent “Nelson” OSTP memo on immediate and equitable access to research. At Duke University, the research administration has also been working to implement a new institutionally-based research data policy. As information professionals situated within a library part of our role is to help researchers navigate this changing policy landscape. Likewise, we are stakeholders when considering the development of resources and services to support policy implementation. We may also take on the role of advocates for values we hold, such as the value of openness or equity in the research enterprise. How can we balance these different roles? What are some common challenges or pitfalls? What makes the library’s position in this policy space unique? In this presentation, we will share some reflections from our recent experiences at Duke navigating this complex landscape and engage the audience in a discussion about their experiences.