Why should you manage your research data or objects?

The management of research data or objects is part of good research practice. It can help researchers by potentially increasing efficiency, saving time and resources, and boosting the impact and visibility of their work.

Good data management practices enable:

• TRANSPARENCY: The evidence that underpins research can be made open for anyone to scrutinise, verify, and attempt to replicate findings.

• EFFICIENCY: Data collection can be funded once, and used many times for a variety of purposes.

• RISK MANAGEMENT: A pro-active approach to data management reduces the risk of inappropriate disclosure of sensitive data, whether commercial or personal.

• PRESERVATION: Lots of data is unique, and can only be captured once. If lost, it can’t be replaced.

Thus, resulting in efficient and excellent research.

 

The video below illustrates a real-world example of why research data management is important

Video Source: NYU Health Sciences Library Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution License