November 2021

Research Information Management in the United States

By Rebecca Bryant, Jan Fransen, Pablo de Castro, Brenna Helmstutler, David Scherer

The Research Information Management in the United States two-part report series provides a first-of-its-kind documentation of RIM practices at US research universities that presents a thorough examination of RIM practices, goals, stakeholders, and system components.

Research information management (RIM) is a rapidly growing area of investment in US research universities. While RIM practices are mature in Europe and other locales in support of nationalized reporting requirements, RIM practices at US research universities have taken a different—and characteristically decentralized—course. A complex environment characterized by multiple use cases, stakeholders, and systems has resulted. 

This report provides a landscape overview of the state of research information management in the United States, makes sense of the complexity, and offers recommendations targeted at University leaders and other institutional decision makers. 

We hope that the information presented in this report can support library leaders in talking about RIM systems and practices with institutional stakeholders and to advocate for the role of the library in this work.