Managing Your Research Data

Effective data management is crucial to ensure responsible and reproducible research. It helps you verify that your data are well-organized, documented, secure, and accessible throughout the research life-cycle and beyond. Good data management practices not only support your own work but also facilitate collaboration, sharing, and long-term preservation.

This section provides guidance on how to clean, document, organize, and assess the quality of your data, while also offering resources to help you go further.

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Why is data management important?

  • Ensures scientific integrity: Well-managed data are more reliable, traceable, and reproducible.

  • Supports collaboration: Clear organization and documentation make it easier for others to understand and reuse your data.

  • Meets funder requirements: Many funding agencies now require data management plans and open access to research data.

  • Prepares for publication and sharing: Structured and well-described data are easier to publish and disseminate.

What you’ll find in this section:

  • Data Cleaning
    Learn how to identify and correct errors or inconsistencies, and in your datasets.

  • Document Your Data
    Discover how to create clear documentation (data dictionaries, metadata, README files) to make your data understandable and reusable.

  • Organize Your Data – File Naming [link]
    Adopt naming conventions and folder structures that support clarity, consistency, and long-term access.

  • Quality Standards [link]
    Understand the quality criteria and best practices relevant to your discipline or data type.

  • Type of Data [link]
    Explore different data types (quantitative, qualitative, multimedia, etc.) and their implications for management and sharing.

  • More Resources for Data Management [link]
    Access tools, guides, and training materials to deepen your knowledge and improve your data management practices.

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