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The adoption of research data management practices by emerging researchers: A case study of emerging researchers at a higher education institution in the Western Cape, South Africa

Research Data Management serves a crucial role in navigating the intricate landscape of contemporary research. This study, comprising five chapters, adopts a qualitative approach and leverages Activity Theory to explore the factors that influence researchers' Research Data Management practices and c...

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Main Author: Xesi, Xabiso
Other Authors: Kahn, Michelle
Format: Thesis
Language:English
ENG
Published: Library and Information Studies Centre (LISC) 2025
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access_status_str Open Access
author Xesi, Xabiso
author2 Kahn, Michelle
author_browse Kahn, Michelle
Xesi, Xabiso
author_facet Kahn, Michelle
Xesi, Xabiso
author_sort Xesi, Xabiso
collection Thesis
description Research Data Management serves a crucial role in navigating the intricate landscape of contemporary research. This study, comprising five chapters, adopts a qualitative approach and leverages Activity Theory to explore the factors that influence researchers' Research Data Management practices and comprehend how practices relate to the Research Data Management environment at the institution. The research design uses semi-structured interviews to collect data from Masters and Doctoral students (referred to as ‘emerging researchers' in the study) and librarians as representatives of Research Data Management stakeholders within the institution. Document analysis was employed as a complementary tool to acquire insight into the current situation of Research Data Management in the institution under investigation. The collected data was analysed using thematic analysis. The study findings provide insight into a wide range of Research Data Management practices, including various storage options, issues with metadata documentation, complex opinions on data preservation and sharing, and a solid dedication to ethical considerations. These practices were influenced by factors such as Research Data Management practices and continual education and communication initiatives to teach a better awareness of the benefits throughout the research lifecycle. The study offers several recommendations, including prioritising research training programs, establishing transparent communication channels for institutional Research Data Management policies, fostering collaborative platforms, and providing ongoing support and education. Finally, this study provides foundational insights into the complex interaction of factors that influence Research Data Management practices, laying the groundwork for creating effective methods to build a culture of responsible data management within academic institutions.
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institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language English
ENG
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:51:39.587Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2025
publishDateRange 2025
publishDateSort 2025
publisher Library and Information Studies Centre (LISC)
publisherStr Library and Information Studies Centre (LISC)
record_format dspace
source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/41317 The adoption of research data management practices by emerging researchers: A case study of emerging researchers at a higher education institution in the Western Cape, South Africa Xesi, Xabiso Kahn, Michelle Research data management, RDM Research Data Management serves a crucial role in navigating the intricate landscape of contemporary research. This study, comprising five chapters, adopts a qualitative approach and leverages Activity Theory to explore the factors that influence researchers' Research Data Management practices and comprehend how practices relate to the Research Data Management environment at the institution. The research design uses semi-structured interviews to collect data from Masters and Doctoral students (referred to as ‘emerging researchers' in the study) and librarians as representatives of Research Data Management stakeholders within the institution. Document analysis was employed as a complementary tool to acquire insight into the current situation of Research Data Management in the institution under investigation. The collected data was analysed using thematic analysis. The study findings provide insight into a wide range of Research Data Management practices, including various storage options, issues with metadata documentation, complex opinions on data preservation and sharing, and a solid dedication to ethical considerations. These practices were influenced by factors such as Research Data Management practices and continual education and communication initiatives to teach a better awareness of the benefits throughout the research lifecycle. The study offers several recommendations, including prioritising research training programs, establishing transparent communication channels for institutional Research Data Management policies, fostering collaborative platforms, and providing ongoing support and education. Finally, this study provides foundational insights into the complex interaction of factors that influence Research Data Management practices, laying the groundwork for creating effective methods to build a culture of responsible data management within academic institutions. 2025-04-01T09:09:52Z 2025-04-01T09:09:52Z 2024 2025-04-01T09:03:57Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters MLIS http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41317 en ENG application/pdf Library and Information Studies Centre (LISC) Faculty of Humanities University of Cape Town
spellingShingle Research data management, RDM
Xesi, Xabiso
The adoption of research data management practices by emerging researchers: A case study of emerging researchers at a higher education institution in the Western Cape, South Africa
thesis_degree_str Master's
title The adoption of research data management practices by emerging researchers: A case study of emerging researchers at a higher education institution in the Western Cape, South Africa
title_full The adoption of research data management practices by emerging researchers: A case study of emerging researchers at a higher education institution in the Western Cape, South Africa
title_fullStr The adoption of research data management practices by emerging researchers: A case study of emerging researchers at a higher education institution in the Western Cape, South Africa
title_full_unstemmed The adoption of research data management practices by emerging researchers: A case study of emerging researchers at a higher education institution in the Western Cape, South Africa
title_short The adoption of research data management practices by emerging researchers: A case study of emerging researchers at a higher education institution in the Western Cape, South Africa
title_sort adoption of research data management practices by emerging researchers a case study of emerging researchers at a higher education institution in the western cape south africa
topic Research data management, RDM
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41317
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