Research Data Management

The University of Oxford defines Research Data Management (RDM) as a general term covering how you organize, structure, store, and care for the information used or generated during a research project.

Why RDM?

Research data management is critical in research. It ensures that research data is collected, organized, stored, and shared in a way that is accurate, reliable, and secure. Effective research data management practices help researchers maintain the integrity and reproducibility of their work, which is essential for building trust and credibility in the research community.

Good data management also makes it easier for researchers to collaborate with colleagues, share their findings with others, and comply with ethical and legal requirements for data storage and sharing.

Main Aspects

There are three aspects of how you store and handle your research data that need to be addressed through data management:

Media: define the most appropriate way to host your information, it can include more than one type (eg. paper, CDs, DVDs, hard drive, etc.)
Format: keep in mind what software and hardware you will need to access the information. You can select between non-proprietary file formats (best to use for long-term data storage and include formats such as csv, .txt, .gif, .png, .mp3) or proprietary / open-proprietary formats (best to use for analysis, e.g.: .pdf, .doc, .xls, shp). You are also allowed to use more than one according to your needs

Metadata / documentation: your documentation refers to information about your research process and methodology, your metadata is the information about the data itself

RDM Content

The next suggestions listed by the University of Oxford will help you to understand what tasks are essential in research data management:

Strategize how you will manage your data
Define how to document working practices

Organize tasks to deal with information on a day-to-day basis over the lifetime of a project
Plan what will happen to data when the research ends (long term)
Prepare a way to preserve data
Consider how the information may be disseminated and reproduced

Research Data

The Oxford University suggests to sonsider any of the following options as data in your research project:

Textual and numerical information
Images, videos, audiovisual content
Print and digital information
Forms, databases and any tool used to collect or record information
Objects or instruments used in the research
Survey results, analysis or any qualitative and quantitative analyzed information

Glossary

Research: Critical and exhaustive investigation or experimentation, having for its aim the discovery of new facts and their correct interpretation, the revision of accepted conclusions, theories, or laws in the light of newly discovered facts, or the practical application of such new or revised conclusions, theories, or laws. (Webster, 3d ed).
Data Management: Processes that include acquiring, validating, storing, protecting, and processing data to ensure accessibility, reliability, and timeliness for users.
Biomedical Research: Research that involves the application of the natural sciences, especially biology and physiology, to medicine.
Research Data Management: RDM is a general term covering how you organize, structure, store, and care for the information used or generated during a research project.
Research Data Management Plan: A RDMP is a document that describes the data that will be collected throughout a project, and how the data will be organized, stored, and shared.
Metadata: Structured data elements used to describe other data.

Definitions by National Library of Medicine and University of Oxford.