Data Management  

Allows you to focus on your research not user requests

Increases the visibility of your research

Meets grant requirements (i.e., NSF mandate)

Lets others understand your data

Makes preserving data easier

Takes less time to get data ready to share

Ensures the integrity and proper description of data

Facilitates new discoveries

Avoids catastrophic loss in the event of a disaster

Supports Open Access initiatives

Office of Research & Commercialization

Debra Reinhart, Assistant VP for Research & Commercialization

reinhart@mail.ucf.edu

407-823-2315

UCF Libraries

Lee Dotson, Digital Initiatives Librarian

Lee.Dotson@ucf.edu

407-823-1236

Good data management is the foundation for good research. Today, more and more publishers and funding agencies are requiring researchers to share their data. Having a data managment plan fullfills agency requirements and makes your data easier to share.

Review data management plan templates and resources

Consider the type of data you will be producing as well as storage and security needs

Decide how you will organize, identify, and name your data files

Consistently document and describe your data

Determine how and where you might share your data

Assess archiving and long-term preservation needs

Seek additional resources

Managing your data before you begin your research and throughout its life cycle is essential to ensure its current usability and long-run preservation and access. To do so, begin with a planning process.

What type of data will be produced? Will it be reproducible? What would happen if it got lost or became unusable later?

How much data will it be, and at what growth rate? How often will it change?

Who will use it now, and later?

Who controls it (PI, student, lab, funder)?

How long should it be retained? e.g. 3-5 years, 10-20 years, permanently

Are there tools or software needed to create/process/visualize the data?

Any special privacy or security requirements? e.g., personal data, high-security data

Any sharing requirements? e.g., funder data sharing policy

Any other funder requirements? e.g., data management plan in proposal

Is there good project and data documentation?

What directory and file naming convention will be used?

What project and data identifiers will be assigned?

What file formats? Are they long-lived?

Storage and backup strategy?

When will I publish it and where?

Is there an ontology or other community standard for data sharing/integration?

Who in the research group will be responsible for data management?

Thank you to MIT Libraries and the University of Virginia Library's Scientific Data Consulting Group for providing guidance and allowing us to repurpose content found on their guides.

MIT Libraries Data Management and Publishing

University of Virginia Library Scientific Data Consulting Group