What should I keep in mind when preparing data for preservation and re-use?
Preparing data for preservation and reuse is not a stage, but an ongoing part of the research process
- Archives and repositories require clarity on who owns data and that permission for preservation and re-use is granted
- Data containing direct or a number of significant indirect identifiers will not be accepted unless anonymised or removed
- Data requires good explanatory contextual material and information to be accepted into an archive or repository
- Converting or migrating data to make the data preservable for the long term
Data Ownership
Is it clear who owns the data? Archives and repositories are unable to accept data where ownership is unclear or permission for preservation and re-use is not given. Clarify ownership early in the research in case there is a problem. If data cannot be shared because of ownership issues, the research funder must be informed during the funding application stage. Funders will hold principal investigators liable where data is unable to be shared because ownership rights were not resolved or permission to deposit data had been not sought.
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