Phase 2
Remember: Managing data in a research project is a process that runs throughout the project. Good data management is one of the foundations for reproducible research. Good management is essential to ensure that data can be preserved and remain accessible in the long-term, so it can be re-used and understood by future researchers. Begin thinking about how you’ll manage your data before you start collecting it.
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Sensitive records/data will be appropriately protected from unauthorized access.
Backup
Researchers and research administrators must have a backup strategy to recover data after loss and/or to recover data from a particular time. It may not be possible to store the data in the State and University Library. In such cases a suitable place has to be found for backup of the data. Backups of more than one (1) copy should be performed regularly, and should be housed remotely from the main data storage. The backups should be labelled and well organised to facilitate any data restoration process.
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- There are no services available to you
- You have valuable data that you do not trust with other people
- You have sensitive data that you cannot store on unsecure computers (medical records, data for defence projects, etc.)
Version Control
Throughout the course of the research data lifecycle multiple versions of documents or files can be created and mechanisms must be put into place to decipher between the different versions.
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Researchers must also consider the longevity of the software/hardware required to create and analyse research data. It is important to include documentation relating to software/hardware requirements in the Research Data Management Plan. It may be necessary to include a copy of the software version including any related metadata together with the research data (depending on software licensing conditions).
Data Validation and Authentication
Your data will be used to obtain the results and conclusions of your research, so it is important to ensure its accuracy. Your data may also become an important dataset that is used by many others, so errors have the potential to hinder many research efforts.
It is therefore important to set up policies and practices to ensure the accuracy and authenticity of your data.
Access Controls
Well-defined access controls help you comply with privacy and confidentiality policies and help maintain data authenticity by limiting who can modify data. The access controls may change throughout the life of the research project. Initially all data will usually be restricted to the research group, when the results are published the data may then be made available to other researchers.
Metadata and Recordkeeping
Metadata or data documentation is critical to every research project. Appropriate records must accompany all data throughout the research cycle, continuing into the inactive storage stage, and be included in the metadata.
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Metadata is typically used for resource discovery, providing searchable information that helps users to find existing data, as a bibliographic record for citation, or for online data browsing. Researchers and research administrators must plan and record a process for recording data in the Data Management Plan before data collection begins. This will make data documentation easier and reduce the likelihood that aspects of the data are forgotten later in the research project.
Destruction
Research data that is scheduled to be destroyed must be reviewed and authorized for destruction by the data owner. Data must not be destroyed without written authorization and documentation of the data and the destruction processes used.
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