Work with Research Data
What the data management focuses on depends greatly on which type of data the project will generate. It's important to distinguish between primary (data generated or collected by the project) and secondary (already existing) data. But there are some things that are important to consider no matter the data type.
Data Gathering
Data Quality
Some aspects of data management are important no matter which kind of data is involved. Data should be complete, structured, and understandable.
Data Security
Most higher education institutions have developed guidelines based on information classification. These guidelines deal with managing data on stationary computers, portable media, and in cloud services. When personal data are included in the research project, precautions must be taken to make sure no errors occur, or that they are accidentally shared.
The guidelines for the University of Borås are available here (Swedish only).
Folder Structure and File Names
A deliberate file structure is a necessity for organized research material. Suitable file names are just as important.
Documentation
Data gathering should be documented in a way that makes it possible for yourself and others to follow and recreate the research process in detail later. Many fields have some kind of standard for documentation, and in some there are particular computer programs used to help with this.
If you want support and service from the university's Data Access Unit you can contact hb-dau@hb.se.
Data Analysis
Under the analysis phase, when data is processed, it is important to document all the changes and additions made so that you can tell the versions of the data apart. Any analysis also needs to be documented so it can be recreated at a later point. Here an updated data management plan can be very helpful. Backup copies of all relevant files should be made regularly. It is also wise to store a backup copy of the data at second location.
If you want support and service from the university's Data Access Unit you can contact hb-dau@hb.se.
