The Research Lifecycle as a Strategic Roadmap

What is the role and purpose of the academic library in the 21st century? Increasingly, this question is being asked on campuses around the country. The thesis of this article is that academic libraries will continue to play a vital role on campus, provided they align their services to the research and discovery missions of their respective institutions. If this is true, a clear definition of the research lifecycle now becomes a strategy roadmap, allowing academic libraries to see the bigger picture as well as the sweep of research services they might offer. The case for crafting the library's strategic plan around the research lifecycle is presented in four parts in this article. In part one, a review of the literature is presented, specifically that having to do with the continuing imperative of academic libraries to practice strategic alignment. An exploration of the increasing importance of the research experience in higher education is then presented in part two, followed by a detailed look at the research lifecycle. And finally, an overview of strategic opportunities and partners is presented in a final section.