Background: Librarians conduct research to better understand the communities they serve and to develop new services. For librarians in rapidly evolving dataintensive settings, research is especially crucial. However, librarians regularly encounter obstacles that stymie their abilities to complete necessary research projects. To address these barriers, librarian researchers at Loyola Marymount University developed The Institute for Research Design in Librarianship (IRDL).

Setting/Participants: In June 2014, a data librarian (D.B.) was accepted into the inaugural class of scholars attending the IRDL in Los Angeles, CA. During IRDL, scholars received training in research processes, including topics surrounding the formation of research questions, qualitative and quantitative research methodology, as well as mixed-methods research.

Purpose: Using the skills and network acquired during the IRDL, library researchers have been able to pursue studies for which they previously had little support. One such study is a protocol designed by a data librarian (D.B.) at Weill Cornell Medical College to assess perceptions of data literacy competencies and socio-technical barriers impeding data literacy and data management practices among biomedical research teams. The study makes use of a novel interview protocol designed to rapidly assess these issues and their impact on research data workflows. The Weill Cornell Medical College Institutional Review Board has approved this library study.

Conclusion: Participation in the IRDL has been instrumental in facilitating the execution of research aimed at examining socio-technical barriers impeding data literacy and hindering data management practices among biomedical research teams at academic medical centers.