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Research Data Management as a “wicked problem”

Chris Awre, Jim Baxter, Brian Clifford, Janette Colclough, Andrew Cox, Nick Dods, Paul Drummond, Yvonne Fox, Martin Gill, Kerry Gregory, Anita Gurney, Juliet Harland, Masud Khokhar, Dawn Lowe, Ronan O'Beirne, Rachel Proudfoot, Hardy Schwamm, Andrew Smith, Eddy Verbaan, Liz Waller, Laurian Williamson, Martin Wolf, Matthew Zawadzki

Library Review

ISSN: 0024-2535

Article publication date: 6 July 2015

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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’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

Acknowledgements

The project was funded by the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education.

Citation

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. and 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

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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