In 2022, Rutgers University Libraries embarked on a comprehensive review of their organizational structure with the goal of improving operational efficiency, clarity, and communication. Part of this process involved the identification of service areas that could benefit from greater system-wide coordination and support. One of those areas was research support, which encompasses a broad range of specialized, high-touch services such as managing research data, conducting systematic reviews, and evaluating research impact.
While traditional services like reference and borrowing have been centrally coordinated for years, research support evolved much more opportunistically in response to local needs, resources, and expertise as well as rapidly changing technologies, funding expectations, and modes of scholarship. While this approach allowed for the development of responsive and innovative services, it also led to inconsistencies in quality, coverage, and integration. It therefore became necessary to explore ways of scaling these services to meet growing demand across the university and ensure their sustainability.
To help address this challenge, the Research Support Services (RSS) group was formed in the fall of 2025 to coordinate the development and delivery of library services that support research across the life cycle. Under the direction of the coordinator for research support services, this group is responsible for providing training, outreach, and support to researchers on topics such as:
- Artificial intelligence
- Copyright
- Evidence synthesis
- Open access
- Research data
- Researcher identity and impact
- Scholarly publishing
Reporting to the associate vice president for campus libraries, the goals of RSS are to:
- Support researchers at all stages of the research life cycle, from project design to publication and beyond
- Increase campus awareness and use of library research support services
- Build capacity among library faculty to provide specialized research support
- Foster a culture of open, ethical, and impactful scholarship
- Continuously evaluate and adapt services to emerging research needs and trends
RSS is composed of library specialists across the Libraries and organized in the following teams:
Artificial Intelligence
Members: Katie Anderson, Joanne Dera, Triveni Kuchi, Mei Ling Lo, Jonathan Torres, Sonia Yaco, Yingting Zhang
Supports researchers in understanding how to use and responsibly integrate artificial intelligence (AI) tools into their research workflows, including guidance on:
- Identifying and evaluating AI tools appropriate for research
- Writing effective prompts, evaluating outputs, and documenting use of AI
- Understanding the technical limitations and ethical implications of AI
- Ensuring ethical and transparent AI use in compliance with academic integrity, intellectual property, and data privacy standards
Evidence Synthesis
Members: Matthew Bridgeman, Maria Deptula, Bart Everts, Mina Ghajar, Pam Hargwood, Samantha Kannegiser, Mei Ling Lo, John Maxymuk, Stephen Modica, Yingting Zhang
Supports researchers in performing scoping, systematic, and other structured literature reviews, including guidance on:
- Formulating a viable research question
- Choosing an appropriate review methodology
- Selecting relevant databases
- Developing an effective search strategy
Research Data
Members: Francesca Giannetti, Triveni Kuchi, Laura Palumbo, Susan Oldenburg, Jonathan Torres, Ryan Womack, Sonia Yaco, Yingting Zhang
Supports researchers in collecting, analyzing, documenting, and sharing research data, including guidance on:
- Finding and accessing specialized datasets
- Using data analysis and visualization tools
- Creating data management plans
- Selecting a repository for data sharing
Researcher Identity and Impact
Members: Joanne Dera, Mei Ling Lo, Jonathan Torres, Yingting Zhang
Supports researchers in promoting their scholarly work and evaluating its reach, influence, and engagement, including guidance on:
- Creating researcher profiles and identifiers
- Interpreting bibliographic metrics like citation count, impact factor, and h-index
- Using bibliographic tools to perform citation analyses
- Using scholarly networking tools to promote their research and identify potential collaborators
Scholarly Publishing, Open Access, and Copyright
Members: Jeffrey Carroll, Maria Deptula, Rhonda Marker, Janice Pilch, Zara Wilkinson, Yingting Zhang
Supports researchers in navigating the complex landscape of scholarly publishing, open access, and copyright, including guidance on:
- Identifying reputable, high-impact journals for publication
- Understanding author rights and negotiating publisher agreements
- Identifying funding for article processing charges (APCs)
- Ensuring compliance with funder and institutional open access policies
- Navigating copyright and licensing issues
Each team has a designated team representative who serves as a member of the RSS Steering Committee, which meets monthly to coordinate the delivery of research support services across libraries, develop standardized policies and best practices, and act as the primary decision-making and strategic advisory body for RSS. Additional information, including the group’s charter and meeting minutes, can be found on the staff website.
To support this exciting work, a new Research queue has been created in LibAnswers. The queue can be used to direct questions on any of the aforementioned topics to the appropriate library specialists. Patrons can also send their questions directly to the queue by emailing ask_research@libraries.rutgers.edu.
Library faculty and staff interested in learning more about the work of RSS are invited to attend an information session to be held in early spring. Details will be distributed via email. In the meantime, feel free to send any questions to me at jdeodato@rutgers.edu.
As we embark on a new academic year, we thought it would be a good time to let you know about some improvements coming to QuickSearch. Below is a summary of some of the major enhancements that Ex Libris plans to introduce in 2019-2020.
