Partnering with health sciences libraries to address challenges in bioimaging data management and sharing

Federal mandates, publishing requirements, and an interest in open science have all generated renewed attention on research data management and, in particular, data sharing practices. Due to the size and types of data they produce, bioimaging researchers confront specific challenges in aligning their data with FAIR principles, ensuring that it is findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable. Although not always recognized by researchers, libraries can, and have been, offering support for data throughout its lifecycle by assisting with data management planning, acquisition, processing and analysis, and sharing and reuse of data. Libraries can educate researchers on best practices for research data management and sharing, facilitate connections to experts by coordinating sessions using peer educators and appropriate vendors, help assess the needs of different researcher groups to identify challenges or gaps, recommend appropriate repositories to make data as accessible as possible, and comply with funder and publisher requirements. As a centralized service within an institution, health sciences libraries have the capability to bridge silos and connect bioimaging researchers with specialized data support across campus and beyond.