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 0e8740e2aee..d633b10d5bc 100644
--- a/src/app/core/data/relationship-data.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/data/relationship-data.service.ts
@@ -531,40 +531,18 @@ 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 21d0fcb5f62..43c018bbce2 100644
--- a/src/app/core/data/relationship-type-data.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/data/relationship-type-data.service.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import {
   FollowLinkConfig,
 } from '../../shared/utils/follow-link-config.model';
 import { RemoteDataBuildService } from '../cache/builders/remote-data-build.service';
+import { RequestParam } from '../cache/models/request-param.model';
 import { ObjectCacheService } from '../cache/object-cache.service';
 import { HALEndpointService } from '../shared/hal-endpoint.service';
 import { ItemType } from '../shared/item-relationships/item-type.model';
@@ -143,14 +144,8 @@ 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 a5deb9ef2a6..749afb5daa3 100644
--- a/src/app/core/eperson/eperson-data.service.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/eperson/eperson-data.service.spec.ts
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ 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);
     });
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ 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);
     });
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ 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);
     });
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ describe('EPersonDataService', () => {
       spyOn(service, 'findByHref').and.returnValue(createSuccessfulRemoteDataObject$(null));
       service.searchByScope('email', '');
       const options = Object.assign(new FindListOptions(), {
-        searchParams: [Object.assign(new RequestParam('email', encodeURIComponent('')))],
+        searchParams: [Object.assign(new RequestParam('email', ''))],
       });
       expect((service as any).searchData.getSearchByHref).toHaveBeenCalledWith('byEmail', options);
       expect(service.findByHref).toHaveBeenCalledWith(epersonsEndpoint, true, true);
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ describe('EPersonDataService', () => {
       spyOn(service, 'findByHref').and.returnValue(createSuccessfulRemoteDataObject$(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 4b033436848..e0672e3207c 100644
--- a/src/app/core/eperson/eperson-data.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/eperson/eperson-data.service.ts
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ 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);
   }
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ 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/notifications/qa/events/quality-assurance-event-data.service.spec.ts b/src/app/core/notifications/qa/events/quality-assurance-event-data.service.spec.ts
index 847eea7c7e6..c981afbe57a 100644
--- a/src/app/core/notifications/qa/events/quality-assurance-event-data.service.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/notifications/qa/events/quality-assurance-event-data.service.spec.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import { NotificationsService } from '../../../../shared/notifications/notificat
 import { createSuccessfulRemoteDataObject } from '../../../../shared/remote-data.utils';
 import { ObjectCacheServiceStub } from '../../../../shared/testing/object-cache-service.stub';
 import { RemoteDataBuildService } from '../../../cache/builders/remote-data-build.service';
+import { RequestParam } from '../../../cache/models/request-param.model';
 import { ObjectCacheService } from '../../../cache/object-cache.service';
 import { RestResponse } from '../../../cache/response.models';
 import { FindListOptions } from '../../../data/find-list-options.model';
@@ -131,10 +132,7 @@ describe('QualityAssuranceEventDataService', () => {
     it('should proxy the call to searchData.searchBy', () => {
       const options: FindListOptions = {
         searchParams: [
-          {
-            fieldName: 'topic',
-            fieldValue: topic,
-          },
+          new RequestParam('topic', topic),
         ],
       };
       service.getEventsByTopic(topic);
diff --git a/src/app/core/notifications/qa/events/quality-assurance-event-data.service.ts b/src/app/core/notifications/qa/events/quality-assurance-event-data.service.ts
index 787de7b636c..7e6e8884173 100644
--- a/src/app/core/notifications/qa/events/quality-assurance-event-data.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/notifications/qa/events/quality-assurance-event-data.service.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import { hasValue } from '../../../../shared/empty.util';
 import { NotificationsService } from '../../../../shared/notifications/notifications.service';
 import { FollowLinkConfig } from '../../../../shared/utils/follow-link-config.model';
 import { RemoteDataBuildService } from '../../../cache/builders/remote-data-build.service';
+import { RequestParam } from '../../../cache/models/request-param.model';
 import { ObjectCacheService } from '../../../cache/object-cache.service';
 import {
   CreateData,
@@ -97,10 +98,7 @@ export class QualityAssuranceEventDataService extends IdentifiableDataService<Qu
    */
   public getEventsByTopic(topic: string, options: FindListOptions = {}, ...linksToFollow: FollowLinkConfig<QualityAssuranceEventObject>[]): Observable<RemoteData<PaginatedList<QualityAssuranceEventObject>>> {
     options.searchParams = [
-      {
-        fieldName: 'topic',
-        fieldValue: topic,
-      },
+      new RequestParam('topic', topic),
     ];
     return this.searchData.searchBy('findByTopic', options, true, true, ...linksToFollow);
   }
diff --git a/src/app/core/statistics/usage-report-data.service.ts b/src/app/core/statistics/usage-report-data.service.ts
index 457b33f4ecb..2737e875de9 100644
--- a/src/app/core/statistics/usage-report-data.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/statistics/usage-report-data.service.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { map } from 'rxjs/operators';
 
 import { FollowLinkConfig } from '../../shared/utils/follow-link-config.model';
 import { RemoteDataBuildService } from '../cache/builders/remote-data-build.service';
+import { RequestParam } from '../cache/models/request-param.model';
 import { ObjectCacheService } from '../cache/object-cache.service';
 import { IdentifiableDataService } from '../data/base/identifiable-data.service';
 import {
@@ -49,10 +50,7 @@ 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/correctiontype-data.service.ts b/src/app/core/submission/correctiontype-data.service.ts
index 9fb771288f5..550fdcacbac 100644
--- a/src/app/core/submission/correctiontype-data.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/submission/correctiontype-data.service.ts
@@ -76,10 +76,7 @@ export class CorrectionTypeDataService extends IdentifiableDataService<Correctio
   findByTopic(topic: string, useCachedVersionIfAvailable = true, reRequestOnStale = true): Observable<CorrectionType> {
     const options = new FindListOptions();
     options.searchParams = [
-      {
-        fieldName: 'topic',
-        fieldValue: topic,
-      },
+      new RequestParam('topic', topic),
     ];
 
     return this.searchData.searchBy(this.searchByTopic, options, useCachedVersionIfAvailable, reRequestOnStale).pipe(
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 94c3b39365f..575f6113353 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
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import {
 
 import { FollowLinkConfig } from '../../shared/utils/follow-link-config.model';
 import { RemoteDataBuildService } from '../cache/builders/remote-data-build.service';
+import { RequestParam } from '../cache/models/request-param.model';
 import { ObjectCacheService } from '../cache/object-cache.service';
 import { BaseDataService } from '../data/base/base-data.service';
 import {
@@ -54,17 +55,8 @@ 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/vocabularies/vocabulary.data.service.spec.ts b/src/app/core/submission/vocabularies/vocabulary.data.service.spec.ts
index 68c7c3ff808..0596b21d577 100644
--- a/src/app/core/submission/vocabularies/vocabulary.data.service.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/submission/vocabularies/vocabulary.data.service.spec.ts
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ describe('VocabularyDataService', () => {
       spyOn(service, 'findByHref').and.returnValue(createSuccessfulRemoteDataObject$(null));
       service.getVocabularyByMetadataAndCollection('dc.contributor.author', '1234-1234');
       const options = Object.assign(new FindListOptions(), {
-        searchParams: [Object.assign(new RequestParam('metadata', encodeURIComponent('dc.contributor.author'))),
-          Object.assign(new RequestParam('collection', encodeURIComponent('1234-1234')))],
+        searchParams: [Object.assign(new RequestParam('metadata', 'dc.contributor.author')),
+          Object.assign(new RequestParam('collection', '1234-1234'))],
       });
       expect((service as any).searchData.getSearchByHref).toHaveBeenCalledWith('byMetadataAndCollection', options);
       expect(service.findByHref).toHaveBeenCalledWith(vocabularyByMetadataAndCollectionEndpoint, true, true);
diff --git a/src/app/core/submission/vocabularies/vocabulary.data.service.ts b/src/app/core/submission/vocabularies/vocabulary.data.service.ts
index 57669d93491..62691cef8f2 100644
--- a/src/app/core/submission/vocabularies/vocabulary.data.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/submission/vocabularies/vocabulary.data.service.ts
@@ -78,8 +78,8 @@ export class VocabularyDataService extends IdentifiableDataService<Vocabulary> i
    */
   public getVocabularyByMetadataAndCollection(metadataField: string, collectionUUID: string, useCachedVersionIfAvailable = true, reRequestOnStale = true, ...linksToFollow: FollowLinkConfig<Vocabulary>[]): Observable<RemoteData<Vocabulary>> {
     const findListOptions = new FindListOptions();
-    findListOptions.searchParams = [new RequestParam('metadata', encodeURIComponent(metadataField)),
-      new RequestParam('collection', encodeURIComponent(collectionUUID))];
+    findListOptions.searchParams = [new RequestParam('metadata', metadataField),
+      new RequestParam('collection', collectionUUID)];
     const href$ = this.searchData.getSearchByHref(this.searchByMetadataAndCollectionPath, findListOptions, ...linksToFollow);
     return this.findByHref(href$, useCachedVersionIfAvailable, reRequestOnStale, ...linksToFollow);
   }
diff --git a/src/app/core/submission/workflowitem-data.service.ts b/src/app/core/submission/workflowitem-data.service.ts
index 88846ee2906..c7a6b482318 100644
--- a/src/app/core/submission/workflowitem-data.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/submission/workflowitem-data.service.ts
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ export class WorkflowItemDataService extends IdentifiableDataService<WorkflowIte
    */
   public findByItem(uuid: string, useCachedVersionIfAvailable = false, reRequestOnStale = true, options: FindListOptions = {}, ...linksToFollow: FollowLinkConfig<WorkspaceItem>[]): Observable<RemoteData<WorkspaceItem>> {
     const findListOptions = new FindListOptions();
-    findListOptions.searchParams = [new RequestParam('uuid', encodeURIComponent(uuid))];
+    findListOptions.searchParams = [new RequestParam('uuid', uuid)];
     const href$ = this.searchData.getSearchByHref(this.searchByItemLinkPath, findListOptions, ...linksToFollow);
     return this.findByHref(href$, useCachedVersionIfAvailable, reRequestOnStale, ...linksToFollow);
   }
diff --git a/src/app/core/submission/workspaceitem-data.service.spec.ts b/src/app/core/submission/workspaceitem-data.service.spec.ts
index 644cae85cb6..43a61bef991 100644
--- a/src/app/core/submission/workspaceitem-data.service.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/submission/workspaceitem-data.service.spec.ts
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ describe('WorkspaceitemDataService test', () => {
       it('should proxy the call to UpdateDataServiceImpl.findByHref', () => {
         scheduler.schedule(() => service.findByItem('1234-1234', true, true, pageInfo));
         scheduler.flush();
-        const searchUrl = service.getIDHref('item', [new RequestParam('uuid', encodeURIComponent('1234-1234'))]);
+        const searchUrl = service.getIDHref('item', [new RequestParam('uuid', '1234-1234')]);
         expect((service as any).findByHref).toHaveBeenCalledWith(searchUrl, true, true);
       });
 
diff --git a/src/app/core/submission/workspaceitem-data.service.ts b/src/app/core/submission/workspaceitem-data.service.ts
index 6df06ccad53..1e22c87d591 100644
--- a/src/app/core/submission/workspaceitem-data.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/submission/workspaceitem-data.service.ts
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ 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.getIDHref(this.searchByItemLinkPath, findListOptions, ...linksToFollow);
     return this.findByHref(href$, useCachedVersionIfAvailable, reRequestOnStale, ...linksToFollow);
   }