Research Data Management and Sharing

Backup and preservation serve distinct purposes in ensuring the long-term integrity and accessibility of research data. While backup focuses on creating copies of data to guard against data loss or corruption in the short term, preservation encompasses broader actions ensuring the usability, authenticity, and accessibility of data over the long term, often extending beyond the duration of a research project. Here are some typical preservation actions:

1. Data Format Migration:

   • Regularly assess and update data formats to ensure compatibility with evolving software and technology standards.
   • Convert data to non-proprietary or widely supported formats to enhance long-term accessibility and prevent format obsolescence.

2. Metadata Maintenance:

   • Continuously update and enrich metadata describing the context, structure, and provenance of the data to facilitate discovery, interpretation, and reuse.
   • Adhere to community or discipline-specific metadata standards to enhance interoperability and metadata consistency.

3. Documentation Updates:

   • Maintain comprehensive documentation accompanying the data, including data dictionaries, codebooks, and README files, to aid understanding and interpretation.
   • Update documentation as necessary to reflect changes in data collection methods, variable definitions, or data processing procedures.

4. Quality Assurance Checks:

   • Implement regular quality assurance checks and data validation procedures to ensure data integrity, accuracy, and reliability over time.
   • Document any data cleaning or preprocessing steps performed to address errors or inconsistencies in the data.

5. Data De-identification and Privacy Protection:

   • Remove or anonymize personally identifiable information (PII) or sensitive data elements to protect participant privacy and comply with ethical and legal requirements.
   • Implement access controls and encryption measures to safeguard sensitive data against unauthorized access or disclosure.

6. Long-Term Storage and Repository Deposits:

   • Deposit data in trusted repositories or archives with established preservation infrastructures and sustainability plans.
   • Ensure compliance with repository requirements, including data formats, documentation standards, and access policies.

7. Data Migration and Redundancy:

   • Plan for regular data migration to new storage systems or formats to mitigate risks associated with hardware or software obsolescence.
   • Establish redundant storage and backup mechanisms across geographically dispersed locations to guard against catastrophic data loss or destruction.

8. Rights Management and Licensing:

   • Clarify intellectual property rights, licensing terms, and usage permissions associated with the data to facilitate data sharing and reuse.
   • Consider applying open access or Creative Commons licenses to promote broader dissemination and reuse of the data.

Implementing these preservation actions enhances the long-term value, usability, and accessibility of their research data, ensuring its integrity and relevance for future scientists and scholars.