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  • wicked problems paper revised for LR

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Research Data Management as a “wicked problem”

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Research Data Management as a “wicked problem”. / Awre, Chris; Baxter, Jim; Clifford, Brian et al.
In: Library Review, Vol. 64, No. 4-5, 2015, p. 356-371.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Harvard

Awre, C, Baxter, J, Clifford, B, Colclough, J, Cox, A, Dods, N, Drummond, P, Fox, Y, Gill, M, Gregory, K, Gurney, A, Harland, J, Khokhar, M, Lowe, D, O'Beirne, R, Proudfoot, R, Schwamm, H, Smith, A, Verbaan, E, Waller, L, Williamson, L, Wolf, M & Zawadzki, M 2015, 'Research Data Management as a “wicked problem”', Library Review, vol. 64, no. 4-5, pp. 356-371. https://doi.org/10.1108/LR-04-2015-0043

APA

Awre, C., Baxter, J., Clifford, B., Colclough, J., Cox, A., Dods, N., Drummond, P., Fox, Y., Gill, M., Gregory, K., Gurney, A., Harland, J., Khokhar, M., Lowe, D., O'Beirne, R., Proudfoot, R., Schwamm, H., Smith, A., Verbaan, E., ... Zawadzki, M. (2015). Research Data Management as a “wicked problem”. Library Review, 64(4-5), 356-371. https://doi.org/10.1108/LR-04-2015-0043

Vancouver

Awre C, Baxter J, Clifford B, Colclough J, Cox A, Dods N et al. Research Data Management as a “wicked problem”. Library Review. 2015;64(4-5):356-371. doi: 10.1108/LR-04-2015-0043

Author

Awre, Chris ; Baxter, Jim ; Clifford, Brian et al. / Research Data Management as a “wicked problem”. In: Library Review. 2015 ; Vol. 64, No. 4-5. pp. 356-371.

Bibtex

@article{f69e7cf23c6c40bb906b70abf535dc71,
title = "Research Data Management as a “wicked problem”",
abstract = "Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to explore the usefulness of the concept to thinking about Research Data Management (RDM). The concept of “wicked problems” seeks to differentiate very complex, intractable challenges from tamer issues where approaches to problem solving are well-understood.Design/methodology/approach– The paper is based on and co-authored by a collaboration of practitioners from libraries, information technology and research administration, with facilitators from the Sheffield Information School. Participants worked together in two-day-long workshops to understand the wicked problem concept and advice on leadership in wicked problem contexts.Findings– Participants concurred that RDM had many features of a wicked problem and most of Grint{\textquoteright}s advice on leadership for wicked problems also resonated. Some elements of the issue were simple; participants were optimistic about improving the situation over time. Participants were resistant to the more negative or fatalistic connotations of the phrase “wicked problem”. Viewing RDM as a wicked problem is an interesting way of looking at it as a challenge for support professionals.Practical implications– The notion of a wicked problem is a generative concept that can be usefully added to professional vocabulary.Originality/value– The paper captures an in-depth response from practitioners to the notion of wicked problems as a lens for examining RDM.",
keywords = "Research, Academic libraries, Data curation, Research data management",
author = "Chris Awre and Jim Baxter and Brian Clifford and Janette Colclough and Andrew Cox and Nick Dods and Paul Drummond and Yvonne Fox and Martin Gill and Kerry Gregory and Anita Gurney and Juliet Harland and Masud Khokhar and Dawn Lowe and Ronan O'Beirne and Rachel Proudfoot and Hardy Schwamm and Andrew Smith and Eddy Verbaan and Liz Waller and Laurian Williamson and Martin Wolf and Matthew Zawadzki",
note = "This article is (c) Emerald Group Publishing and permission has been granted for this version to appear here http://www.research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/research-data-management-as-a-wicked-problem(f69e7cf2-3c6c-40bb-906b-70abf535dc71).html Emerald does not grant permission for this article to be further copied/distributed or hosted elsewhere without the express permission from Emerald Group Publishing Limited. ",
year = "2015",
doi = "10.1108/LR-04-2015-0043",
language = "English",
volume = "64",
pages = "356--371",
journal = "Library Review",
issn = "0024-2535",
publisher = "Emerald Group Publishing Ltd.",
number = "4-5",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Research Data Management as a “wicked problem”

AU - Awre, Chris

AU - Baxter, Jim

AU - Clifford, Brian

AU - Colclough, Janette

AU - Cox, Andrew

AU - Dods, Nick

AU - Drummond, Paul

AU - Fox, Yvonne

AU - Gill, Martin

AU - Gregory, Kerry

AU - Gurney, Anita

AU - Harland, Juliet

AU - Khokhar, Masud

AU - Lowe, Dawn

AU - O'Beirne, Ronan

AU - Proudfoot, Rachel

AU - Schwamm, Hardy

AU - Smith, Andrew

AU - Verbaan, Eddy

AU - Waller, Liz

AU - Williamson, Laurian

AU - Wolf, Martin

AU - Zawadzki, Matthew

N1 - This article is (c) Emerald Group Publishing and permission has been granted for this version to appear here http://www.research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/research-data-management-as-a-wicked-problem(f69e7cf2-3c6c-40bb-906b-70abf535dc71).html Emerald does not grant permission for this article to be further copied/distributed or hosted elsewhere without the express permission from Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

N2 - Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to explore the usefulness of the concept to thinking about Research Data Management (RDM). The concept of “wicked problems” seeks to differentiate very complex, intractable challenges from tamer issues where approaches to problem solving are well-understood.Design/methodology/approach– The paper is based on and co-authored by a collaboration of practitioners from libraries, information technology and research administration, with facilitators from the Sheffield Information School. Participants worked together in two-day-long workshops to understand the wicked problem concept and advice on leadership in wicked problem contexts.Findings– Participants concurred that RDM had many features of a wicked problem and most of Grint’s advice on leadership for wicked problems also resonated. Some elements of the issue were simple; participants were optimistic about improving the situation over time. Participants were resistant to the more negative or fatalistic connotations of the phrase “wicked problem”. Viewing RDM as a wicked problem is an interesting way of looking at it as a challenge for support professionals.Practical implications– The notion of a wicked problem is a generative concept that can be usefully added to professional vocabulary.Originality/value– The paper captures an in-depth response from practitioners to the notion of wicked problems as a lens for examining RDM.

AB - Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to explore the usefulness of the concept to thinking about Research Data Management (RDM). The concept of “wicked problems” seeks to differentiate very complex, intractable challenges from tamer issues where approaches to problem solving are well-understood.Design/methodology/approach– The paper is based on and co-authored by a collaboration of practitioners from libraries, information technology and research administration, with facilitators from the Sheffield Information School. Participants worked together in two-day-long workshops to understand the wicked problem concept and advice on leadership in wicked problem contexts.Findings– Participants concurred that RDM had many features of a wicked problem and most of Grint’s advice on leadership for wicked problems also resonated. Some elements of the issue were simple; participants were optimistic about improving the situation over time. Participants were resistant to the more negative or fatalistic connotations of the phrase “wicked problem”. Viewing RDM as a wicked problem is an interesting way of looking at it as a challenge for support professionals.Practical implications– The notion of a wicked problem is a generative concept that can be usefully added to professional vocabulary.Originality/value– The paper captures an in-depth response from practitioners to the notion of wicked problems as a lens for examining RDM.

KW - Research

KW - Academic libraries

KW - Data curation

KW - Research data management

U2 - 10.1108/LR-04-2015-0043

DO - 10.1108/LR-04-2015-0043

M3 - Journal article

VL - 64

SP - 356

EP - 371

JO - Library Review

JF - Library Review

SN - 0024-2535

IS - 4-5

ER -