State of Research Data Management in Latin American Universities 2022

Abstract

Introduction: Adequate research data management (RDM) improves the exchange of knowledge. Objective: To describe RDM practices in researchers of some Latin American universities. Methodology: Descriptive study carried out in two universities in Cuba, one in Peru and one in Bolivia. A survey was applied by a structured questionnaire with five dimensions (data type-format, storage-archiving, infrastructure-services, ethics-legal, accessibility-reuse). Data were coded and descriptive statistics were applied. Results: 652 researchers from Cuba (74.5%), Peru (17.9%) and Bolivia (7.6%) participated. Type and format of data: 73.9% of researchers generate their own research data, quantitative type 81.1%, in text format 87.3%, digital format 67.2%, and spreadsheets 58.0%. Data storage and archiving: over 65% report having small to medium data volume (<100 GB), 61% store data on personal computers, 29.8% store data at their institution, and 51% report losing research data. Infrastructure and services: 60% referred that data misuse is an obstacle to data sharing, suggesting improving institutional repository support. Ethical and legal aspects: 34.8% use personal or sensitive data and 65.6% do not know the legislation on research data. Accessibility and reusability: more than 60% generate reusable data, 36.2% create passwords for their research data, sharing them via email and the cloud, but data are accessible with restrictions. Conclusions: Most researchers generate quantitative data in low to medium volume in digital format, being stored on personal computers, with high risk of loss and vulnerability. There is a frequent fear of misuse of research data, low awareness of legal aspects and deficiencies in institutional repositories.