Data and data analytics are playing an increasingly central role at higher education institutions, and the academic community is at a critical juncture. The growing trend of publisher acquisition of critical infrastructure has underscored a pressing need to understand the changing landscape and develop actions that institutions can—individually and collectively—take to maintain and regain control of data infrastructure. These actions will determine who ultimately controls the research and education process and whether we meaningfully address inequities created by legacy players or simply recreate them in new ways. These decisions will also shape libraries’ role in the scholarly enterprise, now and for the future.
To help inform our work to regain and maintain community ownership over data and data infrastructure, SPARC has produced a series of analyses to aid our member institutions and the broader community.