Mapping a changing research landscape: the role of libraries in research and researcher training

The Challenge: The modern research library is being called upon to fulfil an ever-wider range of activities to support the research life-cycle and student experience. By understanding changes in the processes that make up both the research life-cycle and the nature of learning in higher education, we will identify how better to support our users.  Our libraries must anticipate the greatly expanded range of expectations and requirements from users and position themselves to meet and exceed these expectations

Map trends in research processes and researcher behaviour

• Gather evidence of changing trends in the use of libraries and research information
• Engage with the research councils, funding councils and other key national and international stakeholders to understand policy directions for research in all disciplines
• Understand changing trends in research practice and researcher career-paths

Identify key areas where libraries can add value

• Identify and promote best practice in bibliometric analysis in support of research and research planning
• Engage more closely with researcher and student organisations to build a bigger picture of the information needs of researchers
• Develop services to enable institutions to meet research assessment demands
• Stimulate and encourage the role of the libraries within researcher networks

Promote the role of libraries to contribute more actively to research training

• Promote best-practice in library engagement with Doctoral Training Centres
• Explore the role of libraries in new forms of pedagogy as students and teachers move to more collaborative modes of learning