This document provides an introduction to research data management best practices. It discusses why managing data is important both in the short and long term, including increasing efficiency, meeting requirements, and allowing others to build on your research. It covers topics such as data storage, backup, organization, metadata, ethics, funder policies, dissemination, and support resources. The overall message is that following data management practices increases productivity and helps preserve and share data for future research.

1. RESEARCH DATA MANAGEMENT: AN
INTRODUCTION TO THE BASICS
Open Access and Data Curation Team

2. 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

3. 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.

4. DATA BACK UP
 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. DISSEMINATING DATA
 Usually a funder requirement.
 Store in a repository:
 Exeter’s data repository
 A 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

14. 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