Review of Digital Research Services at the University of Edinburgh

The University of Edinburgh commissioned Research Consulting to deliver a review of its Digital Research Services (DRS), to inform the further development of the University’s Digital Strategy.

Through 21 interviews and 3 focus groups with stakeholders across all three Colleges of the University and at different levels of seniority, involving 38 contributors in total, this work sought to explore (i) how existing digital research support services were currently perceived by the academic community; (ii) the additional support needed by researchers in relation to digital research; and (iii) potential priority areas for investment that would enhance support for digital research. A particular challenge that emerged as part of this work was how to balance the desire to scale up DRS provision centrally with the serendipity that characterises local emergence and growth of tailored DRS.

Project outputs included a final report to the University as well as an executive summary, for internal dissemination and review to inform strategy development.