Searching Data: A Review of Observational Data Retrieval Practices in Selected Disciplines

Area of Science:

• Information Science
• Data Science
• Research Methodology

Background:

• User behavior in research data seeking and evaluation is under-examined.
• Existing research data discussions lack a cross-disciplinary perspective on user behaviors.
• Understanding how researchers interact with data is crucial for effective data management and reuse.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the data retrieval literature for commonalities in user behaviors.
• To identify how users search for and evaluate observational research data across different disciplines.
• To lay the groundwork for a comprehensive model of research data retrieval.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of the data retrieval literature.
• Analysis using frameworks from information retrieval (IR) and science and technology studies (STS).
• Identification of common practices in data searching and evaluation.

Main Results:

• Identified key similarities in user practices for seeking and evaluating observational research data.
• Highlighted the need for a unified understanding of data retrieval across disciplines.
• Found that user behaviors are influenced by disciplinary contexts.

Conclusions:

• A cross-disciplinary approach is essential for understanding research data retrieval.
• Commonalities in user behaviors suggest a potential for a generalized data retrieval model.
• Further research is needed to develop and validate such a model.