The AskResearch team has launched a new series of digital research guides designed to help the McMaster University community navigate essential tools, platforms and practices that support today’s digital research environment.
Developed in response to recurring questions and complex issues faced by researchers, the guides focus on key digital research topics, including privacy and security in online surveys, limiting bot responses, selecting electronic lab notebooks, and using transcription software effectively.
Each guide provides researchers with clear, consistent advice to help them make informed choices about the digital systems that underpin their research work.
“We wanted to help solve frequently asked questions and simplify particularly challenging problems for researchers,” said Matthew Burns, research technology analyst. “The hope of AskResearch is that it could be a step towards making digital research support easier to navigate.”
AskResearch is a collaborative network that connects researchers with accessible, effective digital research support across the full research lifecycle, from grant planning to data collection, analysis and dissemination.
It is coordinated by the Digital Research Commons Pilot, a three-year initiative funded by Strategic Alignment Funds (SAF) through the Office of the Provost and sponsored by McMaster University Libraries, Office of the Vice-President, Research and Office of the Associate Vice-President and Chief Technology Officer.
AskResearch brings together campus partners to deliver user-centred, collaborative solutions that enhance research at McMaster. The newly launched guides synthesize the collective expertise of many campus partners, transforming complicated and recurring research challenges into clear, accessible solutions.
Elizabeth Phillips, research systems analyst, says the guides make it easier for the McMaster community to find accurate, up-to-date information about the digital tools they rely on.
“It means they don’t have to go to five different places to get an answer,” said Phillips. “If researchers aren’t spending all of their time trying to figure out the answers to problems that arise during their process, then they have more time to focus on the dissemination and impact of their research.”
The digital research environment continues to evolve, and the guidance documents will be updated as new tools, best practices, and security considerations emerge.
Burns says creating the guides also helped point towards the next important steps to help researchers.
“In producing these guidance documents, we’ve been able to identify the needs and gaps within digital research support,” said Burns. “We collectively have a better understanding of McMaster’s digital research landscape, its challenges, and the experiences of researchers in accessing effective support.”
These guides were published with collaboration from multiple partners, including the McMaster Research Ethics Board Office, the Hamilton Integrated Research Ethics Board, UTS’ Information Security team, the Libraries’ Research Data Management Services, Research and High-Performance Computing Support (RHPCS), and the Privacy Office, among others.
Learn more
For more information, visit the Research Guides or AskResearch.
For questions or concerns, contact askresearch@mcmaster.ca.
