Bibliometrics and Research Impact Librarian

The University of Waterloo Library seeks a creative and collegial librarian for the position of Bibliometrics and Research Impact Librarian. Reporting to the Associate University Librarian, Collections, Technology & Scholarly Communication, the incumbent is accountable for developing, advancing, implementing and supporting a range of services around scholarly output research impact and bibliometrics for the University of Waterloo community.  The incumbent works in close collaboration with staff in Institutional Analysis and Planning (IAP), the Office of Research (OR), and colleagues within the Library to develop and support services around measurement of research impact for the campus. The incumbent works with large data sets to analyze bibliometrics data in support of strategic requests from leadership for research impact reporting.

The Library is taking a strategic review of its research and digital scholarship services and is highly engaged as the university develops a new strategic plan. The Library supports many campus priorities including student wellness, sustainability, and the development of Indigenous initiatives, recognizing the responsibility of truth and reconciliation as outlined in the 94 Calls To Action.

The University of Waterloo Library is a member of OCUL, the Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL), the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI), and the Tri-University Group of Libraries (TUG). The Library is transiting towards enhanced collaboration on a shared library platform through the OCUL Collaborative Futures project.

The successful candidate will be responsible for:

  • Management of bibliometrics services and projects, including
    • Lead and promote the Library’s bibliometric services
    • Prioritize, evaluate, negotiate and manage requests for bibliometric data and support
    • Lead and coordinate projects with the primary goal being to ensure best possible service
  • Outreach and education, including
    • Work with faculties, departments, research centres and institutes, and others to understand appropriate use of bibliometrics and other tools that generate research impact measures, grounded in the university’s White Paper on Bibliometrics
    • Design, develop and maintain effective online and print content related to bibliometrics and research impact
    • Act as a resource person/expert consultant for librarians
  • Data analysis and management
    • Consult on best practices in working with bibliometric data
    • Explore and answer methodological questions related to bibliometrics
    • Extract and analyze bibliometrics data in support of strategic requests from leadership, including strategic planning, ranking activity, and other research impact reporting
    • Develop and maintain an awareness of the trends and issues in university level rankings, such as QS and THE, and research impact
    • Analyze trends and patterns over time using benchmarks and comparative data in consultation with institutional analysts
    • Prepare standard and customized reports and presentations to support research impact questions at the institutional and developmental levels
  • Manage bibliometrics software for campus, including
    • Provide end-user support to faculty, students, and staff for bibliometrics software, including training
    • Manage positive relationships with software vendors and arrange for technical support and advanced training
    • Work closely with software and data vendors to solve technical issues around research problems
  • Supervision of co-op students
  • Professional development, including
    • Actively participate on specialized teams or working groups to support the unique needs and strategic goals at the University of Waterloo
    • Onging, proactive acquisition, maintenance, and provision of leadership in the development of associated skills and knowledge in areas of expected expertise

For a full job description see: Bibliometrics and Research Impact Librarian (PDF)

Qualifications:

Education: ALA-accredited Master of Library & Information Science degree, or equivalent

Experience:

  • Demonstrated experience with different bibliometric data sources having citation tracking capabilities (e.g. InCites, SciVal, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar etc.)
  • Demonstrated experience with statistical analysis methods associated with bibliometrics, including data management, manipulation, interpretation and analysis skills
  • Experience working with time-sensitive deadlines
  • Asset: experience with data analysis on large data sets

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

  • Excellent communication and diplomacy skills
  • Strong written and verbal skills for teaching, troubleshooting, procedural documentation and report writing
  • Knowledge of and/or experience with bibliometric software (e.g. InCites, SciVal etc.)
  • Knowledge of basic and derivative bibliometrics (publication counts, citation counts, h-index, journal or discipline normalized metrics, other index metrics)
  • Strong data literacy
  • Understanding of the issues related to responsible research evaluation via bibliometric data; conversant with issues related to the quantification of research impact
  • Ability to take initiative, create opportunities, and develop effective partnerships
  • Knowledge of issues related to researcher identification and experience using researcher profiling systems (e.g. ORCID, Researcher ID, etc.)

Compensation:

The salary for this position will be commensurate with experience and qualifications within the University Support Group (USG) level 9-13 salary range. Hiring range: $61,166.72-107,901.

The primary location for this position is the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON

Additional information:

We welcome interested candidates to connect directly with Alison Hitchens, Associate University Librarian, Collections, Technology, and Scholarly Communication, to learn more about this exciting position. Alison may be reached at +1-519-888-4567 ext. 45980 or by email.

The Librarians' Employment Handbook (PDF) outlines the rules and procedures around promotion and professional development.

To apply:

To apply go to external opportunities at Careers at Waterloo.

Deadline for applications: for assured consideration, applications should be received by October 2nd, 2019. As per policy 18, any qualified internal candidates will be given first consideration.

Interviews are expected to be held beginning in November 2019.

Employment equity: The University respects, appreciates and encourages diversity. We invite applications from all interested applicants. Citizens and Permanent Residents of Canada will be given priority.

Waterloo has spawned thousands of commercial and social enterprises, is home to the world's largest co-operative education program and boasts a uniquely entrepreneurial culture that encourages experimentation and risk-taking.  The result is an outstanding learning and research experience for more than 36,000 undergraduate and graduate students in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada — the anchor of Canada’s innovation corridor.

University of Waterloo — Canada’s top innovation university — is a research powerhouse and the engine of one of the world’s leading startup ecosystems. Offering world-class scholarship and research, combined with unparalleled experience-based education, Waterloo builds a better future for Canada and the world by championing innovation and collaboration to create solutions relevant to the needs of today and tomorrow.

For more information about Waterloo, please visit the University of Waterloo website.

Acknowledgment of traditional territory

We acknowledge that we live and work on the traditional territory of ‎ the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. The University of Waterloo is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land promised to the Six Nations that includes ten kilometres on each side of the Grand River.