What is research data?

Research Data is anything (results of experiments, statistics, models, observations, surveys, images, video, physical artefacts etc) on which research conclusions are based.

What is Research Data Management and what should I do?

Research Data Management is about planning how you’ll manage research data; securely and effectively storing data during a project and making data available for others at the end of your project.

Planning a project:

• Make plans for your research data before you start collecting it. Decide early how you will create, store and share your data.
• Create a Data Management Plan. DMPs (or similar) are a key component of funding applications and should be carefully considered. Strong funding applications have been rejected for weak DMPs.
• Ensure your DMP contains costs for data storage, enabling your research data to be stored on the Colleges Research Data Storage.

During a Project:

• Be responsible for the maintenance, backup and security of your research data.
• Do not store your data on Portable hard drives, USB sticks, CDs or DVDs. Use the Research Data storage recently purchased for the College.
• Effectively manage and restrict access to your research data. It might contain personal information or commercially sensitive.
• Ensure collaborators have secure access to research data. Don’t use Dropbox or other commercial sharing services.
• Don’t just keep your data safe, keep it organised. Avoid time at the end by maintaining file structure and naming conventions. 

Finishing a project:

• Appropriately document and sort your data to make it available for use by others.
• Consider and identify an appropriate digital repository. It may be a requirement of some funders to offer datasets to specific repositories.
• Ensure appropriate physical archival of resources and materials within the college.

Further help...

The College is commited to supporting Research Data Management activities.

If you have any questions about your role in Research Data Management, or require assistance in Data Management Planning, please use the Contact Details.