This guide supports researchers at SETU in planning, managing, storing, and sharing their research data responsibly and effectively throughout the research lifecycle. Good data management enhances research quality, supports reproducibility, meets funder and institutional requirements, and enables long-term access to valuable research outputs.
What is Research Data?
"The data, records, files or other evidence, irrespective of their content or form (e.g. in print, digital, physical or other forms), that comprise research observations, findings or outcomes, including primary materials and analysed data.” (Australian National Data Service)
Examples:
•Statistics and measurements
•Results of experiments or simulations
•Observations e.g. fieldwork
•Survey results – print or online
•Interview recordings and transcripts
•Images, from cameras and scientific equipment
Data should be managed to:
Facilitate Data reuse/sharing, Improve Data quality/Research transparency, provide long term access & preservation of Data.
If you don't: you may be vulnerable through:
hardware/software failure, obsolescence, human error, staff changes, legal problems, institutional policy changes, malicious attacks.
Data is expensive to produce and worth protecting !
Research data management is concerned with how data is organised at all stages of the research cycle, from the initial generation of data through to its dissemination and archiving as the research is completed. It is concerned with how the data is created, organised,stored and made available to other researchers.
The management of Research Data is a important part of the research process and is also in many cases a requirement by Academic Institutions and Funders.
Research funder policies
Publicly funded research should be available
Open data agenda
Good Research Practice
Good data management is good for research
Avoid data loss and improve data security
Benefits of data reuse
The evidence underpinning research findings should be available for validation
Research efficiency in managing files and data
Online sharing dissemination of data
Increased impact of research
Secondary data use
Improved oversight by Institutions of Research output and value
Data created from research are valuable resources that can be used and reused for future scientific and educational purposes.
Good data management practices are essential in research, to make sure that research data are of high quality, are well organised, documented, preserved and accessible and their validity controlled at all times. This results in efficient and excelling research. Well managed data are easily shared and can thus be used for new research or to duplicate and validate existing research.
Data management needs to be planned early on in research, so that practices can be implemented throughout the research cycle.
SETU - A Practical Guide to Research Data Management & Data Management Plans
