diff --git a/src/app/core/cache/models/request-param.model.ts b/src/app/core/cache/models/request-param.model.ts
index ac21fe0b8a8..b78fa45e337 100644
--- a/src/app/core/cache/models/request-param.model.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/cache/models/request-param.model.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
-
 /**
  * Class representing a query parameter (query?fieldName=fieldValue) used in FindListOptions object
  */
 export class RequestParam {
-  constructor(public fieldName: string, public fieldValue: any) {
-
+  constructor(
+    public fieldName: string,
+    public fieldValue: any,
+    public encodeValue = true,
+  ) {
+    if (encodeValue) {
+      this.fieldValue = encodeURIComponent(fieldValue);
+    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/app/core/data/relationship-data.service.ts b/src/app/core/data/relationship-data.service.ts
index 46a51a2d010..00ef14548ad 100644
--- a/src/app/core/data/relationship-data.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/data/relationship-data.service.ts
@@ -492,40 +492,18 @@ export class RelationshipDataService extends IdentifiableDataService<Relationshi
    * @param arrayOfItemIds The uuid of the items to be found on the other side of returned relationships
    */
   searchByItemsAndType(typeId: string,itemUuid: string,relationshipLabel: string, arrayOfItemIds: string[] ): Observable<RemoteData<PaginatedList<Relationship>>> {
-
-    const searchParams = [
-          {
-            fieldName: 'typeId',
-            fieldValue: typeId
-          },
-          {
-            fieldName: 'focusItem',
-            fieldValue: itemUuid
-          },
-          {
-            fieldName: 'relationshipLabel',
-            fieldValue: relationshipLabel
-          },
-          {
-            fieldName: 'size',
-            fieldValue: arrayOfItemIds.length
-          },
-          {
-            fieldName: 'embed',
-            fieldValue: 'leftItem'
-          },
-          {
-            fieldName: 'embed',
-            fieldValue: 'rightItem'
-          },
-        ];
+    const searchParams: RequestParam[] = [
+      new RequestParam('typeId', typeId),
+      new RequestParam('focusItem', itemUuid),
+      new RequestParam('relationshipLabel', relationshipLabel),
+      new RequestParam('size', arrayOfItemIds.length),
+      new RequestParam('embed', 'leftItem'),
+      new RequestParam('embed', 'rightItem'),
+    ];
 
     arrayOfItemIds.forEach( (itemId) => {
       searchParams.push(
-        {
-          fieldName: 'relatedItem',
-          fieldValue: itemId,
-        }
+        new RequestParam('relatedItem', itemId),
       );
     });
 
diff --git a/src/app/core/data/relationship-type-data.service.ts b/src/app/core/data/relationship-type-data.service.ts
index 3020e52d47d..81612d02780 100644
--- a/src/app/core/data/relationship-type-data.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/data/relationship-type-data.service.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import { FindAllDataImpl } from './base/find-all-data';
 import { SearchDataImpl } from './base/search-data';
 import { ObjectCacheService } from '../cache/object-cache.service';
 import { dataService } from './base/data-service.decorator';
+import { RequestParam } from '../cache/models/request-param.model';
 
 /**
  * Check if one side of a RelationshipType is the ItemType with the given label
@@ -130,14 +131,8 @@ export class RelationshipTypeDataService extends BaseDataService<RelationshipTyp
       'byEntityType',
       {
         searchParams: [
-          {
-            fieldName: 'type',
-            fieldValue: type,
-          },
-          {
-            fieldName: 'size',
-            fieldValue: 100,
-          },
+          new RequestParam('type', type),
+          new RequestParam('size', 100),
         ],
       }, useCachedVersionIfAvailable, reRequestOnStale, ...linksToFollow,
     ).pipe(
diff --git a/src/app/core/eperson/eperson-data.service.spec.ts b/src/app/core/eperson/eperson-data.service.spec.ts
index b4b939eebf4..b5766f977cf 100644
--- a/src/app/core/eperson/eperson-data.service.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/eperson/eperson-data.service.spec.ts
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ describe('EPersonDataService', () => {
     it('search by default scope (byMetadata) and no query', () => {
       service.searchByScope(null, '');
       const options = Object.assign(new FindListOptions(), {
-        searchParams: [Object.assign(new RequestParam('query', encodeURIComponent('')))]
+        searchParams: [Object.assign(new RequestParam('query', ''))],
       });
       expect(service.searchBy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('byMetadata', options, true, true);
     });
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ describe('EPersonDataService', () => {
     it('search metadata scope and no query', () => {
       service.searchByScope('metadata', '');
       const options = Object.assign(new FindListOptions(), {
-        searchParams: [Object.assign(new RequestParam('query', encodeURIComponent('')))]
+        searchParams: [Object.assign(new RequestParam('query', ''))],
       });
       expect(service.searchBy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('byMetadata', options, true, true);
     });
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ describe('EPersonDataService', () => {
     it('search metadata scope and with query', () => {
       service.searchByScope('metadata', 'test');
       const options = Object.assign(new FindListOptions(), {
-        searchParams: [Object.assign(new RequestParam('query', encodeURIComponent('test')))]
+        searchParams: [Object.assign(new RequestParam('query', 'test'))],
       });
       expect(service.searchBy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('byMetadata', options, true, true);
     });
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ describe('EPersonDataService', () => {
       spyOn(service, 'findByHref').and.returnValue(createSuccessfulRemoteDataObject$(null));
       service.searchByScope('email', '');
       const options = Object.assign(new FindListOptions(), {
-        searchParams: [Object.assign(new RequestParam('email', encodeURIComponent('')))]
+        searchParams: [Object.assign(new RequestParam('email', ''))],
       });
       expect((service as any).searchData.getSearchByHref).toHaveBeenCalledWith('byEmail', options);
       expect(service.findByHref).toHaveBeenCalledWith(epersonsEndpoint, true, true);
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ describe('EPersonDataService', () => {
       spyOn(service, 'findByHref').and.returnValue(createSuccessfulRemoteDataObject$(EPersonMock));
       service.searchByScope('email', EPersonMock.email);
       const options = Object.assign(new FindListOptions(), {
-        searchParams: [Object.assign(new RequestParam('email', encodeURIComponent(EPersonMock.email)))]
+        searchParams: [Object.assign(new RequestParam('email', EPersonMock.email))],
       });
       expect((service as any).searchData.getSearchByHref).toHaveBeenCalledWith('byEmail', options);
       expect(service.findByHref).toHaveBeenCalledWith(epersonsEndpoint, true, true);
diff --git a/src/app/core/eperson/eperson-data.service.ts b/src/app/core/eperson/eperson-data.service.ts
index d30030365ca..00e55ab97f0 100644
--- a/src/app/core/eperson/eperson-data.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/eperson/eperson-data.service.ts
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ export class EPersonDataService extends IdentifiableDataService<EPerson> impleme
    */
   public getEPersonByEmail(query: string, useCachedVersionIfAvailable = true, reRequestOnStale = true, ...linksToFollow: FollowLinkConfig<EPerson>[]): Observable<RemoteData<EPerson | NoContent>> {
     const findListOptions = new FindListOptions();
-    findListOptions.searchParams = [new RequestParam('email', encodeURIComponent(query))];
+    findListOptions.searchParams = [new RequestParam('email', query)];
     const href$ = this.searchData.getSearchByHref(this.searchByEmailPath, findListOptions, ...linksToFollow);
     return this.findByHref(href$, useCachedVersionIfAvailable, reRequestOnStale, ...linksToFollow);
   }
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ export class EPersonDataService extends IdentifiableDataService<EPerson> impleme
    *                                    {@link HALLink}s should be automatically resolved
    */
   private getEpeopleByMetadata(query: string, options?: FindListOptions, useCachedVersionIfAvailable = true, reRequestOnStale = true, ...linksToFollow: FollowLinkConfig<EPerson>[]): Observable<RemoteData<PaginatedList<EPerson>>> {
-    const searchParams = [new RequestParam('query', encodeURIComponent(query))];
+    const searchParams = [new RequestParam('query', query)];
     return this.getEPeopleBy(searchParams, this.searchByMetadataPath, options, useCachedVersionIfAvailable, reRequestOnStale, ...linksToFollow);
   }
 
diff --git a/src/app/core/statistics/usage-report-data.service.ts b/src/app/core/statistics/usage-report-data.service.ts
index fde82984888..5ce186f4ca6 100644
--- a/src/app/core/statistics/usage-report-data.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/statistics/usage-report-data.service.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import { FollowLinkConfig } from '../../shared/utils/follow-link-config.model';
 import { RemoteData } from '../data/remote-data';
 import { PaginatedList } from '../data/paginated-list.model';
 import { dataService } from '../data/base/data-service.decorator';
+import { RequestParam } from '../cache/models/request-param.model';
 
 /**
  * A service to retrieve {@link UsageReport}s from the REST API
@@ -45,10 +46,7 @@ export class UsageReportDataService extends IdentifiableDataService<UsageReport>
   searchStatistics(uri: string, page: number, size: number): Observable<UsageReport[]> {
     return this.searchBy('object', {
       searchParams: [
-        {
-          fieldName: `uri`,
-          fieldValue: uri,
-        },
+        new RequestParam('uri', uri),
       ],
       currentPage: page,
       elementsPerPage: size,
diff --git a/src/app/core/submission/submission-cc-license-url-data.service.ts b/src/app/core/submission/submission-cc-license-url-data.service.ts
index 3d5dedb505c..5ccaf9bc4dd 100644
--- a/src/app/core/submission/submission-cc-license-url-data.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/submission/submission-cc-license-url-data.service.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import { FollowLinkConfig } from '../../shared/utils/follow-link-config.model';
 import { RemoteData } from '../data/remote-data';
 import { PaginatedList } from '../data/paginated-list.model';
 import { dataService } from '../data/base/data-service.decorator';
+import { RequestParam } from '../cache/models/request-param.model';
 
 @Injectable()
 @dataService(SUBMISSION_CC_LICENSE_URL)
@@ -43,17 +44,8 @@ export class SubmissionCcLicenseUrlDataService extends BaseDataService<Submissio
     return this.searchData.getSearchByHref(
       'rightsByQuestions',{
         searchParams: [
-          {
-            fieldName: 'license',
-            fieldValue: ccLicense.id
-          },
-          ...ccLicense.fields.map(
-            (field) => {
-              return {
-                fieldName: `answer_${field.id}`,
-                fieldValue: options.get(field).id,
-              };
-            }),
+          new RequestParam('license', ccLicense.id),
+          ...ccLicense.fields.map((field: Field) => new RequestParam(`answer_${field.id}`, options.get(field).id)),
         ]
       }
     ).pipe(
diff --git a/src/app/core/submission/workflowitem-data.service.ts b/src/app/core/submission/workflowitem-data.service.ts
index 47d18470d39..7f8649b2e65 100644
--- a/src/app/core/submission/workflowitem-data.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/submission/workflowitem-data.service.ts
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ export class WorkflowItemDataService extends IdentifiableDataService<WorkflowIte
    */
   public findByItem(uuid: string, useCachedVersionIfAvailable = false, reRequestOnStale = true, options: FindListOptions = {}, ...linksToFollow: FollowLinkConfig<WorkspaceItem>[]): Observable<RemoteData<WorkspaceItem>> {
     const findListOptions = new FindListOptions();
-    findListOptions.searchParams = [new RequestParam('uuid', encodeURIComponent(uuid))];
+    findListOptions.searchParams = [new RequestParam('uuid', uuid)];
     const href$ = this.searchData.getSearchByHref(this.searchByItemLinkPath, findListOptions, ...linksToFollow);
     return this.findByHref(href$, useCachedVersionIfAvailable, reRequestOnStale, ...linksToFollow);
   }
diff --git a/src/app/core/submission/workspaceitem-data.service.ts b/src/app/core/submission/workspaceitem-data.service.ts
index f285fb6eca5..d219de0ddc9 100644
--- a/src/app/core/submission/workspaceitem-data.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/submission/workspaceitem-data.service.ts
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ export class WorkspaceitemDataService extends IdentifiableDataService<WorkspaceI
    */
   public findByItem(uuid: string, useCachedVersionIfAvailable = false, reRequestOnStale = true, options: FindListOptions = {}, ...linksToFollow: FollowLinkConfig<WorkspaceItem>[]): Observable<RemoteData<WorkspaceItem>> {
     const findListOptions = new FindListOptions();
-    findListOptions.searchParams = [new RequestParam('uuid', encodeURIComponent(uuid))];
+    findListOptions.searchParams = [new RequestParam('uuid', uuid)];
     const href$ = this.getSearchByHref(this.searchByItemLinkPath, findListOptions, ...linksToFollow);
     return this.findByHref(href$, useCachedVersionIfAvailable, reRequestOnStale, ...linksToFollow);
   }