Undergraduate Research Data Services Engagement Assessment

While research data services have been available at FSU Libraries for several years, the question of tangible student engagement arises. First and foremost, FSU Libraries did not previously have data on undergraduate student engagement with research data services. While there is data for how often and how long students visit an FSU Libraries building, that data does not provide insights into what a student proceeds to do once they visit. Further, remote engagement is harder to account for; with the existence of remote/asynchronous education, there are now multiple modes of student engagement. Additionally, undergraduates may be unaware of everything an academic library can provide. While undergraduate students may visit libraries on a regular basis, their engagement with the library’s research data services might be affected by their awareness of what research data services exist. Moreover, knowing what services students are aware of is useful for knowing what outreach efforts are working and identifying knowledge gaps students may have for these services. In addition to marketing strategies implemented by FSU Libraries in the past, one aspect of the data fellowship program involves outreach. Thus, having insight into what students use and have knowledge of allows us to ascertain what engagement methods are/are not working, and develop additional strategies to boost student usage of these services.