The status quo of research data management in the German-speaking sports sciences—Results of an online pilot survey

Abstract In October 2022, the German Society of Sport Science (dvs) set up an ad hoc committee “Research Data Management” (RDM) with the aim, among others, to develop research data management guidelines for the German sports science community. Recent surveys focusing on various other scientific disciplines suggests barriers for the implementation of sustainable and open RDM practices. Here, guidelines formulated by a professional society might help to overcome potential restraints. On this account, as a first step within the dvs ad hoc committee, a pilot survey was conducted in August to September 2023 to assess the status quo in RDM practices in the community. The online survey was structured into three parts: (1) characteristics of the survey participants, followed by questions about the participants’ (2) current RDM practices, and (3) general knowledge about RDM. The survey was completed by 122 sports scientists from all sections within the dvs. The outcomes provide some interesting first insights into the current RDM practices in data collection, the management of research data access, and the status quo in data publication of researchers in the community. This will guide actions within the dvs ad hoc committee, focusing on three core topics: guidelines, sensitive data, and best practices, but may also serve as a starting point for future research on facilitators and barriers for the implementation of sustainable and open research data practices.