What is research data?
Research data is described by the Australia National Data Service (ANDS) as
The data, records, files or other evidence, irrespective of their content or form (for example, in print, digital, physical or other forms), that comprise research observations, findings or outcomes, including primary materials and analysed data.
What is data management?
Data management includes all activities associated with data other than the direct use of the data, such as:
- data organisation
- backups
- archiving data for long-term preservation
- data sharing or publishing
- ensuring security of confidential data and
- data synchronisation.
Under the Australian Code for Responsible Conduct of Research, good data management aligns with a researchers responsibilities.
Benefits of data management
Data management is a forward planning exercise that assists a researcher to:
- explicitly state who owns the copyright and intellectual property of the research
- secure the protection of research data by making a plan of when, where, how and who will back up the project material
- organise data by establishing a version control and naming convention system
- raise their research profile and find new collaborators by using metadata to aid data sharing and gain data citations
- ensure long term access to research data by considering appropriate file formats for storage
- gain access to research data sets to improve research productivity.
Research data management
When outlining how you will deal with the data you will be gathering, it is recommended that a data management plan be completed. To access the Research Data Management Plan, log in to the UniSQ RISE research repository. Please view the Research Data Management Plan (RDMP) guide before filling in the online template.
If you need assistance with completing a data management plan, please contact the Research Support Team.
Research data storage
As a researcher at UniSQ you have access to secure storage for your research data.