This document discusses managing research data and the benefits of developing a data management plan. It notes that managing research data enables verification, sharing and citation of results. Developing a data management plan structures how data will be created, managed, stored, shared and preserved. The plan should address what data will be created, data management practices, storage and access, and long-term preservation strategies. With good planning, researchers can avoid errors and losing data. The document provides resources for developing plans and getting help with data management.

1. What’s the data about Research Data?
Title of presentation
Name of presenter
Title of presenter Research Services & Digital
Learning &
School / Faculty / Division
Infrastructure, Library
xx Month 201x
La Trobe University
latrobe.edu.au
CRICOS Provider 00115M

2. Why do we need to manage data? What are the benefits?
Managing research data is a standard of good research practice offering a variety of
benefits for the researcher and the wider community.
Effective data management enables verification, sharing and citation of your results.
Effective data management allows the researcher and collaborator to store, reuse and
access their data in a safe and secure manner.
It can also save the researchers’ time and resources increase their efficiency of their
research output as well as increase visibility and impact of their work. These benefits
can be set in motion with an effective Research Data Management Plan.
Source: Digital Curation Centre (DCC), Managing Research Data, 4 June, 2012, accessed
on 16th October 2013 from: http://www.dcc.ac.uk/news/managing-research-data-video.
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3. What sort of data?
Strictly speaking, research data exists both print, digital and physical forms, and either
qualitative or/and quantitative. It can be anything in a digital form (or able to be
digitised readily), that has been used as the basis for research analysis, and which has
formed (or will form) the basis of findings written up and published as a research
publication. Even research data that has been assembled but which has not yet been
directed towards producing publications could also be within this scope. This could
include virtually any type of qualitative or quantitative material, from statistical data
through to interview recordings or transcripts to image or video files and potentially
many other types of digital material.
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4. Why should we manage our Research Data?
Good data management can keep your data (your assets):
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accurate, complete, authentic and reliable
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identifiable, retrievable and available when needed
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secure
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compliant with legal and ethical requirements (from funding bodies and your
institution)
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ready to share with the broader research community
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increasing potential exposure and citations
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Re-useable by yourself and others
Source: University of Melbourne, 5 October 2012, Doing Data Better website: How,
http://researchdata.unimelb.edu.au/how, accessed on 16th October 2013
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5. Data Management Plans: Why use a plan? What’s involved in a
plan?
Often before you start to create your research data, you may want to write a Research
Data Management Plan. This plan will structure how the data will be created, managed
and labelled, stored, shared, and preserved. Latrobe University e-Research Department
can provide you with a checklist for what is involved- see the tab “Data Management
Planning”
A basic data management plan should answer these questions:
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what data will be created
what policies will apply to the data
who will own and have access to the data
what data management practices will be used
what facilities and equipment will be required and
who will be responsible for each of these activities
what the long-term preservation strategies are for the data
Source: ANDS: http://ands.org.au/guides/data-management-planning-awareness.html &
Source: JISC, DCC, 2013 Digital Curation Centre, Data Management Plans page:
http://www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/data-management-plans, accessed October 16th 2013.
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6. Why you need a data management plan?
Planning ahead means that you don’t rush to manage the data at the end of the
research project, this allows you to:
 Avoid errors by thorough planning
 Avoid losing data through poor planning
 Spend less time rushing through the data management phases of the project, at
the end of the project (if you have to meet requirements)
How can La Trobe help you create a plan?
Currently at the moment Research Services and the Library are developing an easy
to use software interface for efficient and effective data management plan creation.
Coming Soon!
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7. Lessons learnt from Toy Story 2 and PIXAR
Back up your data: one of the most important steps in your Data Management Plan.
Lessons learnt from PIXAR when they lost the Toy Story 2 movie files…..
Toy Story 2: PIXAR
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8. Getting HELP
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Library Guide page on Data Management – covers basic information about
managing data, writing data management plans, copyright, ethics and intellectual
property (IP) issues, sharing data on Research Online, Researcher Profiles and more
Link: http://latrobe.libguides.com/dataman
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Training and Workshops at the Library and Research Services:
Link: http://www.lib.latrobe.edu.au/training/research-smart
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Faculty Librarians contacts:
Link: http://www.latrobe.edu.au/library/contact-us/faculty-librarian-phone-andemail
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Research Online contacts: repository@latrobe.edu.au
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