I wanted to (somewhat belatedly) share information about the availability of a substantial OCLC Research study on Research Information Management practices in the US. It documents a fascinating picture: while in much of Europe, for example, these practices are fairly mature and fairly centralized at a national level, the US has taken a very different and highly decentralized path. The report is in two volumes. The first provides a broad overview of findings and recommendations, while the second includes five in-depth case studies. See

Research Information Management in the United States

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.

My thanks to OCLC for taking a much-needed and timely systematic look at this area. I also note that Rebecca Bryant, the lead author on the study, has told me that she'll be highlighting elements of the report as well as some additional material that couldn't be included in the published report in her postings on the OCLC Research Blog at

www.hangingtogether.org

over the next few months.

Clifford Lynch Director, CNI