Research Practices and Support Needs of Public Health Scholars at University of Washington

Abstract

This report summarizes findings of a study conducted by the University of Washington Health Sciences Library, for the national project Research Support Services: Public Health, initiated by Ithaka S+R. The study explored University of Washington public health scholars’ research methods and research support needs, the challenges researchers face in conducting and sharing research output, and researchers’ current outlooks on developments, trends and challenges in the field of public health. The goal of the project is to inform the library’s decisionmaking and development of services supportive of public health researchers at University of Washington. In this report, we discuss study methods and findings, describe key trends identified through analysis of the twelve interviews conducted with researchers at the University of Washington, and outline library service recommendations for further exploration.