One of the foundational principles for strong research data management practices is to ensure that research data (especially for research that has been sponsored by public funds, like Tri-Agency grants) are preserved after the research has been completed and remain shareable with other researchers for re-use or replication.
- Assess the potential reuse value of the data and the resources required (space, people, funding) to ensure it remains accessible and reusable in the future.
- Consider appropriate repositories and other dissemination methods for your data, including any funding agency, ethical and/or confidentiality requirements.
- Identify the steps required following project completion to ensure the data you are choosing to preserve or share are anonymous, error-free, and converted to recommended formats with a minimal risk of data loss.
- If applicable, determine how you will ensure file integrity, anonymization and de-identification.
- Include sufficient documentation and metadata with your data.
- Explore what uses can be made of your data through licenses like Creative Commons. Consult Library & Learning Services, if needed.
Practicing good research data management does not mean all data must be preserved and shared. While data sharing contributes to the visibility and impact of research and fulfills the legitimate desire of researchers to maximize their research outputs before releasing their data, it must be balanced with the need to protect the privacy of respondents and the intellectual property of external partners.
