Research Data Management

What is Research Data Management?

“Research data management concerns the organisation of data, from its entry to the research cycle through to the dissemination and archiving of valuable results.” – Whyte, A., Tedds, J. (2011). ‘Making the case for research data management’. DCC Briefing papers.

Research Data

‘The recorded factual material commonly accepted in the scientific/research community as necessary to validate research findings’ EPSRC

It can exist in a variety formats: print, digital & types: statistics; experimental data; interview records…Essentially the building-blocks underpinning your work, study & research.

Research Data Management Policy

Reasons to Create a Data Management Plan

1. Comply with funder expectations
2. Make data understandable and accessible, now and in the future
3. Maximise data security
4. Protect Intellectual Property
5. Share and standardise good practice

Data Management Plan Templates

• Login to:  DMP Online (register using your University log in details)
• Check your funder’s research data policy; some funders have specific templates
• The University of Northampton has a template created for non-funded research
• Successful completed data management plans (exemplars)

Requirements – Data Management

1. Published research papers should include a short statement describing how and on what terms any supporting research data may be accessed.(e.g., “The research data associated with this paper which was funded by EPSRC is available at: [URL or DOI].”
2. Publicly-funded research data that is not generated in digital format will be stored in a manner to facilitate it being shared in the event of a valid request for access to the data being received (this expectation could be satisfied by converting and storing such data in digital format in a timely manner). (minimum of 10 years, or 10 years from when last accessed).
3. Appropriately structured metadata describing the research data is published (normally within 12 months of the data being generated) and made freely accessible on the internet; in each case the metadata must be sufficient to allow others to understand what research data exists, why, when and how it was generated, and how to access it. Where the research data referred to in the metadata is a digital object it is expected that the metadata will include use of a robust digital object identifier.
4. Where access to the data is restricted the published metadata should also give the reason and summarise the conditions which must be satisfied for access to be granted. For example ‘commercially confidential’ data, in which a business organisation has a legitimate interest, might be made available to others subject to a suitable legally enforceable non-disclosure agreement.
5. Research data is to be securely preserved for a minimum of 10 years from the date that any researcher ‘privileged access’ period expires or, if others have accessed the data, from last date on which access to the data was requested by a third party; all reasonable steps will be taken to ensure that publicly-funded data is not held in any jurisdiction where the available legal safeguards provide lower levels of protection than are available in the UK.

Data Management Plan

Prior to submitting a Research Proposal, or applying for funding, ensure that you have a robust data management plan in place, this should be viewed as a living document, that can be updated and amended as required throughout the lifecycle of your research project. You can create a Data Management Plan (DMP) using https://dmponline.dcc.ac.uk/, using your university login details.

Information on these web pages was obtained and adapted from:

• ICO