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Library cultures of data curation: Adventures in astronomy

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  • Peter T. Darch
  • Ashley E. Sands
  • Christine L. Borgman
  • Milena S. Golshan

Abstract

University libraries are partnering with disciplinary data producers to provide long‐term digital curation of research data sets. Managing data set producer expectations and guiding future development of library services requires understanding the decisions libraries make about curatorial activities, why they make these decisions, and the effects on future data reuse. We present a study, comprising interviews (n = 43) and ethnographic observation, of two university libraries who partnered with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) collaboration to curate a significant astronomy data set. The two libraries made different choices of the materials to curate and associated services, which resulted in different reuse possibilities. Each of the libraries offered partial solutions to the SDSS leaders' objectives. The libraries' approaches to curation diverged due to contextual factors, notably the extant infrastructure at their disposal (including technical infrastructure, staff expertise, values and internal culture, and organizational structure). The Data Transfer Process case offers lessons in understanding how libraries choose curation paths and how these choices influence possibilities for data reuse. Outcomes may not match data producers' initial expectations but may create opportunities for reusing data in unexpected and beneficial ways.

Suggested Citation

  • Peter T. Darch & Ashley E. Sands & Christine L. Borgman & Milena S. Golshan, 2020. "Library cultures of data curation: Adventures in astronomy," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 71(12), pages 1470-1483, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jinfst:v:71:y:2020:i:12:p:1470-1483
    DOI: 10.1002/asi.24345
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Tiffany C. Chao & Melissa H. Cragin & Carole L. Palmer, 2015. "Data Practices and Curation Vocabulary (DPCVocab): An empirically derived framework of scientific data practices and curatorial processes," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 66(3), pages 616-633, March.
    2. Andrew M. Cox & Mary Anne Kennan & Liz Lyon & Stephen Pinfield, 2017. "Developments in research data management in academic libraries: Towards an understanding of research data service maturity," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 68(9), pages 2182-2200, September.
    3. Susan Leigh Star & Karen Ruhleder, 1996. "Steps Toward an Ecology of Infrastructure: Design and Access for Large Information Spaces," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 7(1), pages 111-134, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Christine L. Borgman & Morgan F. Wofford & Milena S. Golshan & Peter T. Darch, 2021. "Collaborative qualitative research at scale: Reflections on 20 years of acquiring global data and making data global," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 72(6), pages 667-682, June.
    2. Peter T. Darch & Ashley E. Sands & Christine L. Borgman & Milena S. Golshan, 2021. "Do the stars align?: Stakeholders and strategies in libraries' curation of an astronomy dataset," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 72(2), pages 239-252, February.
    3. Ming Zeng & Yanbin Xu & Haoyu Wu & Jiaxin Ma & Jianwei Gao, 2022. "Sustainable Insights for Energy Big Data Governance in China: Full Life Cycle Curation from the Ecosystem Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-30, May.

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