Between administration and research: Understanding data management practices in an institutional context

Research Data Management (RDM) promises to make research outputs more transparent, findable, and reproducible. Strategies streamline data management across disciplines are of key importance. This paper presents results an institutional survey (N = 258) at a medium-sized Austrian university with STEM focus, supplemented interviews 18), give overview the state-of-play RDM practices faculties disciplinary contexts. services on rise but remain somewhat behind leading countries like Netherlands UK, showing only beginnings culture attuned RDM. There is considerable variation between institutes respect amounts, complexity sets, collection analysis, archiving. sharing within fields tend be inconsistent. predominantly regarded as administrative task, detriment considerations good practice. Problems fall in two categories: Generic problems transcend specific interests, infrastructures, departments while discipline-specific need targeted approach. The extends state-of-the-art by combining in-depth qualitative material quantified, detailed about needs. findings should interest any comparable institution similar agenda.