RESEARCH DATA MANAGEMENT: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BASICS

Open Access and Data Curation Team

WHY MANAGE DATA?

Short-term: Increase efficiency. Save time. Simplify your life. Meet funder and institutional requirements.

Long-term: Preserve your data. Easier sharing and collaboration. Allow others to build on your research. Raise your visibility and research profile.Download our research data management survival guide

DATA STORAGE

Accessibility of data:Where will you be working: at home; in the office or

lab; both?Will you be working collaboratively?

U Drive – up to 20GBs allowance. Cloud storage (but not for sensitive or confidential

data). Computer hard drive. External hard drives & memory sticks. DVDs/CDs. There may be local College solutions – ask your CDOs. Advice from Exeter IT.

Why back up?Security and integrity of information.Reduce the risk of accidental or malicious data

loss.Makes data recovery easier.

Back up in more than one place – store external devices in different places.

Back up after major changes to data. Make sure you know which version is the most up to

date. Get into the habit of backing up regularly. Advice from Exeter IT and UK Data Archive.

DATA BACK UP

SELECTION AND APPRAISAL

You don’t have to back up everything – storing data is costly, get into the habit of reviewing and deleting data.

When to retain data - criteria include:Uniqueness.Non-replicability.Significant to current and future research.Scientific, social or cultural significance.Underpins published research.Important in relation to other data/research.Specific funder (legal or contract) requirement.

Advice on disposal of confidential data from Records Management or email Caroline Dominey.

ORGANISING YOUR FILES AND FOLDERS

Label your files and folders consistently and meaningfully so they can easily be found – choose a system and stick to it (yyyymmdd for dates).

Make sure you know which is the latest version of your work, especially if working collaboratively:

– use a version control table in the document.– name files accordingly, e.g., V01 & V02 – major

changes; V02.01 – minor changes to version 2. Enables efficient working – don’t waste time

trying to find a file or folder later in your studies. Advice from Cambridge University Library.

DOCUMENT DATA CREATION & COLLECTION (METADATA)

Where did you collect your data? How did you collect your data? What equipment did you use? What formats are your data in? Needed for:

Long-term discoverability of your data online (and articles, working papers, etc.).

Understanding, sharing and reuse.Replication.Validation.

Tips from MIT and Cambridge or ask your Subject Librarian.

BE AWARE OF COPYRIGHT ISSUES

When you put research papers or data online that include third-party copyrighted material you must be sure you have permission to do so.

This includes journal articles, conference papers, reports, chapters, theses, and so on. Get the correct copyright permissions early on in your research – it could hold you up later. Images are a particular problem – see JISC Digital Media for advice on using images. Read one PhD student’s experience of handling copyright issues.

ETHICS & SENSITIVE DATA Follow the University’s Ethics Policy & subject-

specific procedures. Be aware of relevant legislation, e.g.,

Data Protection Act Stringent control of access to data: password

protection; encryption; lock and key. Store personal information, keys, codes, consent

forms, etc., separately. Share with caution – use encryption. Good advice from UKDA.

DATA MANAGEMENT PLANNING (DMP)

Bids to most major funders now require a DMP outlining: Roles and responsibilities What data will be created and how Data formats Documentation of data Storage and back up Data sharing Long-term preservation and access...

Get support from RKT or the Open Access & Data Curation Team

SUPPORT OPEN ACCESS

What is it?International movement to open up access to research knowledge.Publicly-funded research should be openly and freely available.No restrictions on access or use.Most funders now require funded research to be made OA.Get used to putting your papers and data on OA – use our repository.Find out more from the Library Open Access Team.

KNOW YOUR FUNDER’S POLICY ON OA

RCUK Policy on Open Access Wellcome Trust Policy Statement Overview of Funders’ Policies on Open Data UoE policy: due for ratification by early 2013.

DISSEMINATING DATA

Usually a funder requirement. Store in a repository:

Exeter’s data repositoryA subject repository (e.g.,

Archaeology Data Service).A national repository (e.g., UK Data Archive)

Advantages: Security. Permanence. Visibility. Citability. Opportunity. Someone else looks after it for you.

List of repositories at OpenDOAR

HELPFUL LINKS

Contact us: openaccess@exeter.ac.uk Open Exeter Project Open Access web site RKT Contact Details Digital Curation Centre Draft UoE Research Data Management Policies Appraise & Select Research Data – DCC Exeter IT Governance and Compliance

Download a copy of this presentation from:

https://eric.exeter.ac.uk/repository/handle/10036/3885

Image on opening slide © DDI and MIT:http://libraries.mit.edu/guides/subjects/data-management/cycle.html