Annotation of research data with rich metadata is important to make that data findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (Wilkinson et al., 2016), thereby rendering the carried out research more sustainable. Within the Helmholtz Association, the Helmholtz Metadata Collaboration (HMC) coordinates the mission to enrich Helmholtz-based research data with metadata by providing (information about) technical solutions, advise and ensuring uniform scientific standards for the use of metadata. In 2021, HMC conducted its first community survey to align its services with the needs of Helmholtz researchers. A question catalogue with 49 (sub-)questions was designed and disseminated among researchers in all six Helmholtz research fields. The conditional succession of the questions was aligned with predetermined expertise levels ("no prior knowledge", "intermediate prior knowledge", "high level of prior knowledge"). 631 completed survey replies were obtained for analysis. The HMC Community Survey 2021 provides insight into the management of research data as well as the data publication practices of researchers in the Helmholtz Association. The characterization of research-field-dependent communities will enable HMC to further develop targeted, community-directed support for the documentation of research data with metadata.