This is a talk given to the Australian 2021 Research Support Community Day (#RSCDay21). ABSTRACT: Understanding scholarly communication is becoming increasingly important within research institutions. In response, the number and range of scholarly communication-related roles within academic libraries, and other departments and divisions, have been growing steadily for nearly 20 years. Yet there are very few formal training opportunities for people moving into these roles. This has led to something of a crisis, with a recent paper in the US identifying that “scholarly communications librarians experience impostor phenomenon more frequently and intensely than academic librarians more broadly”. This talk will describe an Australasian research project building on the US study looking at scholarly communication knowledge and skills. Our study focusses on people who support institutional repository management, publishing services, research practice, copyright services, open access policies and scholarly communication landscape, data management services, and assessment & impact metrics. The findings will help identify future training and workforce development needs.

1. Where to from here?
Identifying training & professional
development needs of scholarly
communication staff
Research Support Community Day
2-4 February 2021 (online)
#RSCDAY21
Researchers:
Dr Danny Kingsley @dannykay68 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3636-5939
Dr Joanna Richardson @jprglobal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1871-6707
Dr Mary Anne Kennan @MaryAnneKennan https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1342-9853
Image
CC-BY
Danny
Kingsley

2. Why this study?
• No & range of scholarly communication-related roles within
academic libraries, and other departments and divisions, have
been growing steadily for nearly 20 years
• Distinct lack of formal education and training opportunities -
sensed anecdotally and recently demonstrated in US and UK
studies
• Recent US study on impostor phenomenon in scholarly
communication practitioners elicited interesting discussion on
CAIRSS list
• Decision to investigate the current Australasian context
Talk abstract: https://rscday.info/rsc-day-2021-abstracts-and-bios/#kingsley
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Danny Kingsley

3. Scholarly communication usually = library
https://osc.hul.harvard.edu/
https://osc.cam.ac.uk/
https://www.kent.ac.uk/osc/
https://www.brunel.ac.uk/life/library/SCO
https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/library/libstaff/scholarlycomms
https://web.library.uq.edu.au/about-us/organisational-structure/learning-
and-research-services/scholarly-communication-and-repository-services
https://www.lib.uts.edu.au/ab
out-us/staff-profiles/scholarly-
communication
https://qutvirtual4.qut.edu.au/we
b/qut/service-
directory?action=view&id=1252

4. What do people
in scholarly
communication
‘Ought to Know’?
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Danny Kingsley

5. US study (2017) -
missing education
“Most LIS graduates don’t enter the
field with any significant education
around scholarly communication”
https://www.imls.gov/publications/positioning-library-and-
information-science-graduate-programs-21st-century-practice

6. US study (2020)
- missing
training
“…formal training on
scholarly communication
topics in LIS is rare,
leaving many early career
practitioners
underprepared for their
work. …”
https://jlsc-pub.org/articles/abstract/10.7710/2162-3309.2328/

7. Finland (2020) –
New services = new roles & new skills
https://www.liberquarterly.eu/articles/10.18352/lq.10336/
It soon became evident that open science would
require an expansion of traditional library services and
the adoption of new roles. The development of new
open science and research support services,
infrastructures and tools would also require
qualifications beyond those of traditional library skills

8. Not unique. Different.
The skills required of people working in
libraries in institutions *producing*
information as well as *consuming* it
are different.
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Danny Kingsley

9. Disconnect
https://www.coar-repositories.org/files/Competencies-for-
ScholComm-and-OA_June-2016.pdf
https://www.nasig.org/Competencies-
Scholarly-Communication
https://www.alia.org.au/foundation-knowledge-skills-and-
attributes-relevant-information-professionals-working-
archives
Under (much needed) review
And possibly redundant soon
https://www.alia.org.au/sites/default/files/Consulta
tion_Draft_Professional_Pathways%20301120.pdf

10. US study (2020) – there’s an issue
https://shsu-ir.tdl.org/handle/20.500.11875/2866
“scholarly communications
librarians experience
impostor phenomenon more
frequently and intensely than
academic librarians more
broadly”
The confidence in competencies
section of this study was the basis of
our study (with permission).

11. Cambridge study (2016)
• Over 500 respondents from around the
world
• The hypothesis: there is a systematic lack
of education on scholarly communication
issues available to those entering the
library profession. This is creating a time
bomb skills gap in the academic library
profession and unless action is taken we
may well end up with a workforce not
suited to work in the 21st century
research library.
https://unlockingresearch-blog.lib.cam.ac.uk/?p=1313
The educational section of this
study was the basis of our study
(with permission).

12. Mostly ‘on the job’ & ‘self-directed’ learning
Skills in scholarly communication – needs & development
https://unlockingresearch-blog.lib.cam.ac.uk/?p=1943

13. Our study (2020-2021)
https://cpas.anu.edu.au/research/research-projects/scholarly-communication-knowledge-and-skills-australasian-research

14. Building on previous studies
Study in three parts:
1. About your job
2. Confidence in Competencies
• Section modified from 2020 US Impostor
Phenomenon study
3. About your qualifications and training
• Section modified from 2016 UK Educational
background study
Question list:
https://cpas.anu.edu.au/files/SVY_ScholCommSkillsQuestions.pdf
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Danny Kingsley

15. Definition of “scholarly communication”?
Includes tasks associated with:
• Institutional repository management
• Publishing services
• Research practice
• Copyright services
• Open access policies and the scholarly communication landscape
• Data management services
• Assessment & impact metrics
Also included questions about ‘Personal Strengths’ (as described in the NASIG competencies)

16. Preliminary findings
All but one of these responses is complete
– total of 160 full responses
Of these 66 incomplete responses:
• 31 were not genuine attempts (did not get past second question)
• 8 were genuine attempts to complete the survey (completed many
questions and added comments)
• 28 unclear if they were genuine or not.

17. Demographic breakdown

18. Australia - range of responses across states
Note amongst the ‘genuine’ incomplete responses:
ACT = 1, WA = 3, Qld = 1, NSW = 1
Note there was a group of responses from non
university institutions (mostly health)

19. New Zealand - range of responses
• All but one institution
represented
• Two of the incomplete
genuine attempts were
also from NZ
https://www.universitiesnz.ac.nz/universities

20. Experienced librarians, newish roles
Percentage of people in library >10 years = 62%
Percentage of school comm roles <10 years = 79%

21. 80% are juggling schol comm with other tasks
Note that several of the people who responded <100% made comments that indicate scholarly
communication is their whole role (mentioning other scholarly communication tasks, management
or HR responsibilities).

22. Analysis has just begun
• Research questions to explore, using a combination of
quantitative and qualitative (using NVivo) analysis:
• Analyse the levels of confidence in different scholarly
communication competencies
• Cross reference these levels against educational
background
• Exploring and describing the implications these findings
have for the the future educational and training support of
this growing area
• Publication later 2021
• Watch this space!
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Danny Kingsley

23. Example: “To what extent do you feel supported in
your role by the wider institution?”
There is still a lack of recognition that the library has a
legitimate role in this space.
University management is very slow to recognize the value of
OA and push for its widespread adoption.
The Department doesn't value the repository as much as I
would like.
There is a general level of support but it remains the job of
those working in SC to educate others across the institution on
what SC is.
Not sure if the rest of the institution, or even the executive of
my division understand the role and how much it is
appreciated.
It's an uphill battle all the way.
There is no point taking problems or complaints up the chain
because no one really cares.
My institution is very interested in scholarly communication and
the economics of publishing. We frequently have opportunities to
report to senior committees on these matters.
I feel heard and that there is enthusiasm for what I do.
My work supporting our repository is seen to be of high
importance to the University
I see the importance that my role plays in the university and this is
recognised by others
Researchers and other university directorates very supportive and
interested
Our Academics will contact us to ask for our support, so our
support must be well regarded
I feel supported and valued by the Faculty I support.

24. And we mean what we say!
https://cpas.anu.edu.au/research/research-projects/scholarly-
communication-knowledge-and-skills-australasian-research

25. Thanks!
danny.kingsley@anu.edu.au
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Danny Kingsley