Introduction to Research Data Management: Basics, Tools, and Best Practices

1. Research data management – an introduction Slides provided by the DaMaRO Project, University of Oxford Research Services

2. What is research data management? • Research data is all the information you make use of in your research • Structured data (in databases, tables, etc.) • Unstructured data (in textual sources, images, audio recordings, personal notes, emails, etc.) • Data management is how you organize, structure, and care for this • Storage, backing up, and data preservation • Preparing material for analysis, or to share with others Research data management – an introduction

3. Data management basics • Be proactive – start early and think ahead • Take time to look at your existing ways of dealing with information • Do they meet your current needs? • Can you find what you need when you need it? • Are files and data suitably labelled to aid retrieval? • Will they continue to do so for the duration of your research project? • What about after that? What do you need to do to enable further use of the data – by you or by others? Research data management – an introduction

4. Funding bodies’ requirements • Funders are increasingly requiring researchers to meet certain data management criteria • When applying for funding, you may need to submit a technical or data management plan • You may be asked to make your data available through an archive • SHERPA JULIET provides a useful summary of funding bodies’ policies Research data management – an introduction

5. Storage and backing up • How are you storing your data for the duration of your project? What’s your back-up plan? • The HFS service offers free back-up to postgraduates and university staff • Do you have access to space on a departmental server? • Synchronization software can help if you work on multiple computers • Dropbox is popular – though others exist Research data management – an introduction

6. Data management tools • Are you using the best tools for the task in hand? • Don’t struggle on with the wrong software or technique just because it’s what you know • If you’ve ever thought ‘I wish I could…’, maybe someone else has, too – and has written some software to make it possible • Tools exist to do a huge range of jobs – to help organize and analyse information, annotate Web pages, PDFs, or images, and much more • Discover new tools via the Research Skills Toolkit website • You could also ask colleagues for recommendations, or search for online reviews Research data management – a brief introduction

7. Longer term goals • If you return to your data in a year or two, will it still be intelligible? • Does the format make it clear what everything means? • Are there abbreviations that need explanation? • Is the data adequately documented? • Where did it come from? Who created it? • What changes have been made to it? • Is any additional information needed to place the data in context? • Are there any restrictions on how it can be used? • What’s your long term storage plan? Research data management – a brief introduction

8. Planning for data sharing and curation • Data sharing is… • Good practice – helps make the most of data • Good for you – improve your citation rate • Now required by most major funders • Preserving and sharing data is much easier if planned for from the beginning of a project • Is the data in an appropriate format? Does it have the relevant documentation and metadata? • Are there confidentiality or IP issues? Research data management – a brief introduction

9. Depositing your data • Consider depositing data in a repository or archive • A straightforward way of ensuring long-term curation • There are many subject-specific repositories • In the near future, Oxford will launch two new services • DataBank – an institutional digital data archive • DataFinder – a catalogue of datasets • Email ORA@bodleian.ox.ac.uk for information or advice • Bodleian Libraries can also advise on metadata and data standards, and can issue DOIs Research data management – an introduction

10. Training • The IT Learning Programme offers courses on a wide range of software • Also database design, working with digital images, Web publishing... • The Skills Hub (on WebLearn) details other training opportunities, including training for graduate students • Departments and divisions also offer their own training programmes • Look out for courses specifically on data management Research data management – an introduction

11. Advice and support • The Oxford Research Data Management website provides guidance and information about services • IT Services’ Research Support team for technical issues • Bodleian Libraries for curation and metadata issues • Ask your subject librarian for discipline-specific help • Departmental IT support teams • IT Services’ NSMS offers paid-for services • The Digital Curation Centre is a national body which can provide advice on sharing and preservation Research data management – an introduction

12. Finally... • See time spent on data management as an investment • Spend a little time now to save more later • It can be a good task for times when you’re feeling tired and uninspired • But remember that it’s supposed to save time, not occupy it! Research data management – an introduction