RSP - RDM

Data preservation

Your data are only truly open if other people can access them, understand them and reuse them.  It is recognised good research practice by researchers and institutions to manage and retain data, fulfilling any legal requirements that may exist following the conclusion of research projects.  This requires active preservation to ensure that the files continue to be readable over the long term, making this an important feature of the research data lifecycle.  You should ensure that the repository you choose has active preservation procedures for digital data curation.  The Digital Curation Centre highlight data preservation as a key aspect to consider when planning a new research project, particularly with data that are unique and irreplaceable if destroyed or lost.  Without the ability to refer to verifiable data, your research may not be judged as sound.

Digital Repositories

There are numerous Digital Repositories and data centres with varying content types (e.g. articles, data sets, images, etc) and disciplinary foci. The majority of them share data openly with the public, or the research community.

OpenDOAR (Directory of Open Access Repositories) maintains an online list of open access digital repositories, and has a content search tool.

re3data.org is the Registry of Research Data Repositories, providing a global registry of data repositories from different academic disciplines, and its use is particularly recommended in the European Commission’s “Guidelines on Open Access to Scientific Publications and Research Data in Horizon 2020”.

Online stores of discipline or subject-specific data ('data centres') abound, but there is currently no definitive list of these.

Some examples of popular data centres include:

• The National Environment Research Council (NERC) Data Centres
• The Archaeology Data Service (ADS)
• The UK Data Archive (UKDA)
• The United States Geological Survey (USGS)

Preserving data at Coventry University

At Coventry University, we have the option of utilising the institutional repository for the storage of data and datasets. A short demonstration video 'Uploading Datasets to the Pure Repository' shows the process of adding data to the repository. On validation, deposited datasets will be automatically archived for long-term storage by Preservica, which is connected to the repository. View the Adding a Dataset to Pure tab for the Repository's Terms of Use and Take Down Notice.

Why would I put my data in a digital repository?

Raise the impact of your research. Digital repositories allow you to make data easily accessible to more people than ever before. The more people who can use your data, the more public good it can do and the more it can do to enrich your field of research. Open online access makes new collaborations and uses of data possible. In some areas (e.g. Archaeological excavation data), the data is often unique and many researchers feel a moral compunction to make it available to others (and, of course, to ensure its long-term preservation).

Raise your research profile. The more other researchers cite your data, the more they will know and admire your work. As the trend toward online open access rises, the prestige associated with data citations is growing.  In addition, making some data available can increase the credibility of your analyses.

Keep your data safe and readable in the long term. Many researchers hold on to an old computer from a decade or two ago because it is the only way to access their old files, created in formats that are now obsolete. Once these computers break, the files are essentially lost.  Many repositories store and back up your treasured research products and will, if appropriate file formats are used, attempt to move the data into new file formats as the original formats become obsolete.  So long as the repository exists, your materials will remain readable and usable.

Your funder may require it. This is more and more common. You can find summary of funders’ open access requirements using the SHERPA/JULIET database. Even if your funder does not require that you deposit your data, a plan to deposit your data may strengthen your bid.

If I published my paper/data in a peer-reviewed journal, can I still deposit it in an open digital repository?
This depends on the journal (especially for papers), but the majority do allow it. Contact your journal for more information, or, you can find summary information on journals’ copyright policies using the SHERPA/RoMEO database.

You can also ask your repository support team for help with this. Coventry University's Research and Scholarly Publications Team is happy to help you find an answer, regardless of your target repository.

Selection- Choosing what to keep

Choosing what to keep and what can be disposed of or deleted is always going to involve a subjective judgement, as nobody knows exactly what information is going to be wanted in the future.

All we can do is think the matter through carefully, abide by the policies we need to (e.g. from funders) and document decisions made and the reasons for them. It won’t be a perfect process, but should at least be a sensible one.

There are some good reasons why selection is worth doing:

• Because storage costs money;
• Storage requires effort / staff hours;
• Storing massive amounts of data complicate finding and access of truly useful stuff.
• Because Freedom of Information laws mean that what you keep on file may have to be disclosed, if requested.

How do I know what to keep and what to delete?

These following questions, based on material devised by the Digital Curation Centre, can help you decide what you should keep and what can be deleted:

• Does my funder or the University need me to keep this data and / or make it available for a certain amount of time?
• Does this data constitute the 'vital records' of a project, organisation or consortium and therefore need to be retained indefinitely?
• Do I have the legal and intellectual property rights to keep and re-use this data? If not, can these be negotiated?
• Does sufficient documentation and descriptive information (‘metadata’) exist to explain the data, and allow the data or record to be found wherever it ends up being stored?
• If I need to pay to keep the data, can I afford it?

Once you've sorted through your files and asked these questions you then need to:

• Check your data protection responsibilities.
• Prepare documentation for each file.
• Find out how to deposit in an institutional or subject-specific repository, as appropriate.